Love, Friendship and Revenge
by nikkiclyneZX15
Summary: They struggled and survived through two full scale wars. Now as a new threat approaches them, our young heroes must do whatever it takes to fight for the freedom of mankind
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – Battles and Losses**

_**Well here we go! First chapter of my first fan fiction! Yaaaaaay! I'll admit that I'm rather excited and nervous. I really do hope you'll like it! **_

_**Moving on! I'd like to introduce you to the girl who's helped me through my writing and will be joining me today with introductions, commentary etc etc. So let me introduce my most awesome OC…Nikki Clyne!**_

_**Nikki – "Hey"**_

"_**Welcome Nikki! You excited?"**_

_**Nikki – (shrugs) **_

"_**Well aren't you a ball of excitement?"**_

_**Nikki – (glares)**_

_**(Sweats) "Anyway! Lets get started with the story! Please enjoy! Hey come on stop looking at me like that!"**_

The year was Cosmic Era 74. It has been over a year since the second Bloody Valentine War. The peace treaty was signed by both the Zaft Forces and the Earth Alliance, both nations keeping their word that they maintain civilization between themselves. But not everyone was willing to declare the war over, for revenge still lay deep in the heart of men.

A young family strolled along the streets of Orb, enjoying the tranquillity of their neutral home. The couple were silent, basking in the stillness that, just barely two years early, was a ruthless war zone.

Their little girl, who was walking innocently between them, holding her parents hands, was oblivious to the horrors of her parents past. For all she knew, they were going for a fun walk, another typical day of her life. Sudden flashes caught the young toddlers' attention causing her to curiously look upwards. Dozens of lights shone above her, brightening the slowly setting sky and occasionally, loud bangs could be heard in the distance.

She reached up and tugged on her parents' sleeves, pointing to the mysterious flashes that had apparently appeared out of nowhere, her eyes widening with excitement.

"Mamma! Pappa! Look! Fireworks!"

Her parents looked up also and stared at the bright flashes, but they did not share the same enthusiasm as their daughter. It was not a time of year to be celebrating, so they knew that the sight that had their young child excited, was something that filled them with dread. The mother looked over at her husband.

"Dear?"

Her husband gazed sadly and sighed.

"It seems there are people that are still holding grudges from the first war."

The two adults continued to stare above them, wondering if there was someone out there that could prevent another war from spiralling out of control.

There was in fact someone that was fighting for the sake of peace and mankind, a young soldier that had dedicated her life to hunting down terrorists and preventing bloodshed. She had friends and loved ones that stood beside her in these times of conflict, and also ones that she would do anything to protect. She was fearless, more than willing to give her life to maintain peace and give civilians the chance to live their lives to the fullest. Who was she? Where did this soldier come from? Well, that was a question that many people have asked, since she had appeared in the lives of the young war heroes.

Nicole Annabella Clyne was a coordinator born into the world like any other, she had a mother and father that loved her, a sister to play with, and luxury of a mansion full of a child's fantasy treasures; all in all she had the perfect life. But these things don't always last, especially for people like Nikki. When meeting her, you'd immediately admit that she was just a normal teenager, an average girl with an average life. But things are never what they appear to be, because this certain teenager wasn't your everyday girl next door.

No, this is a story about a person…a soldier, that has been through everything, has seen all the horrors of a war. All that she went through had made and moulded her into who she had become, which would answer a lot of questions on people's minds. The majority of people that have met Nikki know that she holds many dark secrets about herself that she only lets a certain few people know, people that she is close to. One of these people is her closest friend Jason Kazahana, a friend that Nikki had known for years, a friend that was at that moment beside her in his own machine, clashing blades with the enemy fleet.

"Oy Nikki! You got a moment? Getting kinda swarmed over here!" Jason complained as he moved the Independence, swinging his blade against the many suits surrounding him.

Nikki just snorted and shot back while fighting in her own machine, the Vengeance. "Well you're just going to have to suffer because I have enough problems over here!"

"Oh come on man, my poor machine has only got two arms!"

Her eyebrow twitched, a sure sign she was getting annoyed. "Would you just shut up and concentrate, keep complaining and you'll get your arse kicked by a bunch of bloody useless Zaku's!"

While the two continued bickering, two other certain people who could hear and see everything going on watched and listened in amusement to the argument between the two coordinators.

"It's amazing they can still argue like that and fight big battles at the same time", Jennifer West said while looking out at the battlefield.

She was the girlfriend of Jason and the best friend of Nikki. She had red hair that fell over her shoulders and bright green eyes that stood out; it was these eyes that had Jason falling for her at first sight.

Beside her, a young man chuckled; his name was Kai Rodgericks. He had reddish brown hair and rare dark brown tips at the ends and soft forest green eyes that could make any girls heart melt. But despite the fact that he was dashingly good-looking, it was his gentle personality and heart of gold that had Nikki falling for him.

Kai at the moment was Nikki's current boyfriend; the two of them were very much in love with the other. But love wasn't always that easy for our Nikki, she suffered a massive heartbreak in the first war when she watched her first love Darren Edwards die before her very eyes, and for a while she thought it would be a while before she would be able to fall in love again…that was until she met Kai.

The two of them met thanks to Jason who knew, judging from Kai's soft personality, he was just the kind of person Nikki needed to recover from her horrific past. Although he was going on a hunch, he was surprised but pleased to see the two of them hit it off and become close friends instantly at first meeting. But how did they feel? Well after the first few days, Nikki admitted Kai was a very nice guy and had been a dear friend to her. But because of what she had been through she refused to admit any feelings she could possibly have for him. Kai on the other hand fell for her instantly from when they first met, but he knew she didn't quite feel the same way so he quietly backed off and patiently waited.

It wasn't even a week later that everything happened for our couple. Nikki had tried so hard to block out the growing affection she felt for Kai, but she knew she couldn't keep herself trapped in the past forever. So she gave in and finally admitted that she was in love with him. Now you probably think its all cliché, they confessed first thing, got together, all that stuff…but it didn't quite work like that, well at least not straight away. Although she knew she loved him, she wasn't too sure how he felt. We all know Kai loved her, but despite his gentle and soft nature he was good at hiding his feelings, so good that Nikki was doubtful that _her_ feelings would ever be returned. But she wasn't the type of girl to back down, after some self resolving (and some prodding and constant badgering from Jenny) she told him by straight out kissing him, letting him know physically how deeply for him she felt. Scared of rejection, she ran back home in tears, thinking that he didn't love her. Oh how wrong she was…after getting over his shock of being kissed, Kai ran after her, begging her to let him explain. She reluctantly let him do so and they went back to the place they previously were when Nikki confessed, and it was in that same place that Kai told her that he loved her also and they shared their first kiss as a couple.

Now almost 3 years later, their love was amongst the strongest and it seemed that nothing could ever tear them apart, but Nikki wasn't having romantic moments with her boyfriend now. No she was in fact losing her temper by the second. Not only did she have enemies coming at her non-stop, but she had her idiot of a fighting partner complaining constantly. And when it comes to Jason, it doesn't take much for her to explode at him.

"Nikki! I'm getting tired, when can we go back?" Jason whined as he lazily kicked away a Zaku.

Nikki gripped the controls, trying to keep her anger in. '_How can I when he's complaining every frigging minute?' _ "It'll end when it ends now keep fighting and don't get lazy!"

Jason let out an exasperated and frustrated groan, "But it's getting boring!"

Nikki all of a sudden saw a machine coming up behind the Independence unbeknownst to her friend,

"Oh no you don't!" She pulled out her rifle and shot down the machine before it could reach him.

"You see idiot? This is what happens when you don't focus! You let your guard down and I'm the one that ends up saving your pathetic life!"

Jason puffed his cheeks out much like a small child that didn't get what they wanted "Well I'm sorry if it's becoming a useless battle!"

That pushed Nikki's limit, Jason jumped when he heard her enraged yell." WHAT MAKES YOU THINK IT'S A USELESS BATTLE? I'M DOING THIS TO PROTECT PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT AND YOU'RE JUST FLOATING AROUND LIKE IT'S A FREAKING BORING VIDEO GAME!"

With the two soldiers arguing, and everything else happening around them, there was one other person that was getting tired of the situation. Lacus Clyne stood next to her boyfriend Kira Yamato on board the Eternal as they watched the scene before them. Lacus had to admit she was getting fed up with these two shouting all the time but knew there wasn't much she could do. She knew how bad Nikki's temper could get, and knew interrupting would only fuel it more. She sighed and sat down in her chair suddenly feeling exhausted. Kira eyed her, worried about his girlfriend. He bent down and gripped her hand softly.

"Are you alright Lacus?" He asked softly.

She smiled at him, bemused at his constant concern for her,

"I'm fine Kira, I just wish I could do something about those two, they're meant to be focusing on the situation at hand but every time they end up fighting…"

Kira couldn't help but chuckle, "Well let's be grateful that they're skilful enough to fight their enemies while they're arguing, any other person probably would've been wiped out from being distracted so much by now"

Lacus was about to say something back when a voice from the side interrupted her. "Ma'am, we have a problem, some sort of security breach!"

Lacus turned their direction with a confused expression. "What do you mean? There's no one attacking the Eternal is there?"

The girl shook her head. "Not us Miss Clyne, the ship next to us! They're not guarded and there are enemy mobile suits all over them! That ship only has limited firearm on it!"

Lacus gasped and Kira stepped forward, briefly taking over. "Bring up a communication channel with them! We have to warn them! HURRY!"

"Yes Sir!"

Meanwhile on the other ship, a crewmember received the message from the Eternal. "Miss West! Mr Rodgericks, I received a message from Eternal, it's apparently an emergency, something about security breach."

Kai stepped forward "Put us through". A screen appeared showing Kira and Lacus wearing distraught expressions.

"Kira, Lacus, what's happening? Why the urgency all of a sudden?" Kai asked.

"You guys need to get out of that ship! You've got the fleet all over you!" Kira yelled.

Kai and Jenny stood there with shocked expressions. "What do you mean? Where?" Just as he said that, the ship shook, obviously under attack.

Kai was shocked. "We received no warning that there was anyone attacking, we thought Nikki and Jason had them all held back!" He shouted.

Kira shook his head "Apparently not, it must be because they're arguing that they managed to let a small army pass them, but that doesn't matter, right now you guys seriously need to get out of there!"

Lacus chose this moment to speak. "You two do your best to escape, ill notify Nikki and Jason as to what's going on, that should stop their fighting."

Kai and Jenny nodded "Fair enough, thank you for warning us, we'll do our best"

Lacus smiled "Stay safe"

The communication was cut off and she turned her attention back to Kira and he looked at her. She nodded and turned to her computer.

Still in the battlefield, Nikki and Jason were oblivious to the danger that was happening to their loved ones. Nikki was shouting at Jason, while at the same time fending off enemy mobile suits. Jason was complaining and just lazily attacking anything that came near him. If the situation weren't so serious, it would've been a comical sight to look at. They were just finishing off some Zaku's and Gouf's when they were distracted by Lacus's voice.

"Nikki, Jason! We need you two down here! It's urgent!"

Nikki stared curiously at her sister. "What? All of a sudden? What's so important and urgent that we need to stop this big battle up here! "

Lacus resisted rolling her eyes at her older sibling. "There's a sudden security breach on the ship that Kai and Jenny are on! The enemy are on them full force!"

Nikki felt her eyes widen, she turned and saw her boyfriend's ship under attack. "NO! Damn it! Jason! Come with me we need to stop them!"

"Right behind you!" Jason responded.

The two flew as fast as they could but before they could get even close to the ship, more of the fleet advanced on them, cutting them off from saving their friends.

Nikki growled "DAMNIT! Get out of my way!"

She sliced through the mobile suits, desperately trying to reach the ship, barely noticing the tears she was shedding. "Please…. no…not Kai as well, I can't…I CAN'T LOSE ANYONE ELSE THAT I LOVE TO THIS DAMNED WAR!

Any machine that flew in front of Nikki to cut her off was immediately shot down or sliced apart, her rage and desperation obvious. She suddenly noticed that Jason wasn't following her. She turned and noticed that he had stopped his machine and was just watching. Frustrated she yelled at him.

"What's the matter with you? Don't you want to save Jenny?" She heard no response. "JASON!"

Letting out an aggravated growl, she turned and continued soaring towards the ship. Then she heard a cry from Lacus.

"NO! Nikki! Get away! Watch out!

Nikki ignored her, despite Lacus's desperate tone and kept flying. She was about to reach the ship when it suddenly exploded in front of her, finally weakened by the brutal gunfire. The brightness of the explosion momentarily blinded Nikki and the impact threw her machine backwards. When she regained control again, she looked back and froze at what she saw. All that was left of the destroyed ship was a fading cloud and little bits of debris, floating around in space.

End of Chapter

_**Dun Dun! Cliffhanger!**_

_**Nikki –" Not really since you blabbed to most people how it turns out."**_

_**Ssshhh! There are still some people that might not know!**_

_**Nikki – Whatever**_

_**(Deflates) Well I hope you all enjoyed the chapter anyway! I hope to see reviews! Here is a little squint of the next chapter.**_

"_Sir, they're heading straight for us, none of the ships canons can hit it! It's too fast!"_

The Captain was now starting to get scared. "Retreat, turn this ship around, get us out of here!"

_But it was too late, the last thing he saw, was black and purple metal glinting at him and glowing blue eyes glaring._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Pain and Tears

_Welcome to the next chapter of Love, Friendship and Revenge! And I would like to thank my friends for all the revie-_

_**Nikki: Cut the crap, you only got one review. **_

_**It's better than nothing! Besides he's one of my most loyal friends when it comes to my drawing and…-**_

_**Nikki: Blah blah blah whatever, I couldn't care less. Where's Kai I'm bored out of my skull.**_

_**Well why don't we bring him in? Let's welcome the ever-gorgeous stud Kai Rodgericks!**_

_**Nikki: (glares) Don't call him that! That's my boyfriend!**_

_**Kai: Hey everyone, nice to be here.**_

_**(Ignores Nikki) Welcome Kai! How do you feel about the story so far?**_

_**Kai: Rather intense if you ask me. I'm curious to know what happens next.**_

_**Nikki: (wraps arms around Kai) Hey**_

_**Kai: (smiles at her) Hey yourself**_

_**(Sweat drops) Ok…let's get on with the story before those two start... Aaawww come on guys! Can't you get a room or something?**_

Everything was quiet; the silence after the explosion was tense as people barely dared to believe what had just happened. On the Eternal, Lacus had crumbled and was crying freely in Kira's arms. Kira did his best to comfort her, but even he couldn't stop a single tear from rolling down his face. The air in the room was tense; no one said a word. But what everyone was most scared of was the reaction of the young pilot in the Vengeance. All they could do was sit and wait.

Sitting in the Independence, Jason stared in shock at the space where the ship once was. His hands starting shaking as he thought of Jenny, the girl that he loved more than anything was taken away him. Although he was hurting, Jason was more worried about Nikki and how she was taking this loss. As much as he loved Jenny, he knew the bond between Kai and Nikki was unbreakable, and after watching both of their loved ones die, he was scared of the state that she would be in.

Quietly he flew his machine over to where Nikki was. The Vengeance was completely still, almost as if both machine and pilot were paralysed. Jason knew he had to be careful, he was aware of how vulnerable she could be, especially after everything she had been through. _"So why does fate have be so cruel as to take her true love away as well? What did Nikki do to deserve this?" _Placing his machine next to hers, he sent her a communication, dreading what he might see.

After the explosion, Nikki couldn't move. She stared at the empty space, her eyes wide and full of fear and sadness. Her hands remained on the controls, her whole body frozen. She was so deep in shock, that she didn't notice the Independence come up behind her. It was Jason's voice that finally snapped her out of it.

Jason did his best to be cautious with what he said, Nikki was a volcano waiting to erupt and he knew that if he said the wrong thing, she would go on a unstoppable enraging rampage.

"Nikki…lets go back to the ship."

He saw slight movement from the Vengeance, but heard no response. Jason sighed.

"Come on, everyone's waiting, Lacus and Kira would be worried about us."

It was silent again. He was about to go and grab her machines hand when he heard a cold, dark voice respond back.

The more Jason spoke, the angrier she became. How could he think that she would just float casually back to the Eternal when those murderers were still out there?

Tightening her grip on the controls she spoke back to him. "No…I'm not going anywhere"

Jason stared incredulously at her. "And what are you going to do, wait here and pray for Kai to come back? Well guess what Nikki that's not going to happen!"

As soon as the words left his mouth he instantly regretted it. The Vengeance violently turned on the spot facing him; a screen appeared and he could see Nikki's more than enraged expression.

"I know that, bastard! But that stupid fleet is still out there! I'm going to send the whole lot of them straight to hell!"

Just when she was about to head to the fleet, the Independence moved in front of her, blocking her way.

"Move Jason! I'm going to teach those murderers a lesson!"

Jason gazed sadly at his friend, he no longer recognised her. Her eyes were dull blue, almost grey, her pupils were no more than small dots and lines were etched around her eyes giving the sign of insanity. He knew that she had reached her peak, her highest berserker mode. If he let her go, the fleet wouldn't stand a chance and Jason didn't want her to have more blood on her hands.

Nikki became more and more angry when it became obvious that Jason wasn't going to get out of her way.

"I SAID MOVE! Don't make me attack you! Let me do this, I need to do this! I can't let them get away with killing Kai! MOOVEE!"

Normally Jason would've stood his ground, but his resolve crumbled when he saw angry tears pour down her face. He understood now, she wasn't _just_ angry; she was hurt and heart broken. Kai was the one person that kept her happy and kept Nikki herself. Now that he was gone, she wanted to show the world just how much pain she was feeling. Reluctantly he moved aside and started flying for the Eternal, but right before he left her, he gave her one final message.

"Come back to the Eternal when you're done".

Nikki watched with angry eyes as Jason finally flew away, she nodded at him in acknowledgement that she had heard his message. After he flew away, she made sure to cut off all communications with everyone around her…she did not want any interruptions. She unsheathed her machines blade, and sped for the fleet, the enraged expression never leaving her face.

On the leading warship of the enemy fleet, the bridge crew were alerted by a sudden arrival.

"Captain, we've picked something up on radar, its coming straight from the battle that we retreated from."

The ships commanding officer stared at the screen as the radar was shown to him. It showed one machine heading their way.

"Strange, only one…no matter, they've chosen they're own foolish defeat, whoever this person is. Prepare all canons! I want that thing shot down!"

"Yes Captain!"

Nikki noticed the small fleet moving into formation, she smirked knowing that this was what they would do. Stepping more on the pedal, she moved forward getting ready for her assault.

A group of mobile suits advanced on her first, which was a bad mistake on their part. Nikki remembered that it was the mobile suits that tore apart Kai's ship; this just fuelled her anger even more.

She drove straight into the middle of the smaller machines, all of them shooting for her at once. She skilfully avoided them, slicing through the army, each one taking not even a second to destroy. Just as quickly as it started, all the machines from the fleet had been defeated. All anyone could see was a purple and black Gundam surrounded by pieces of debris, its blue eyes glowing in space.

The fleet's Captain stared with big eyes at the battle. "Who is this soldier? What is that machine? Someone tell me what the hell is happening here!"

"Sir, they're heading straight for us, none of the ships canons can hit it! It's too fast!"

The Captain was now starting to get scared. "Retreat, turn this ship around, get us out of here!"

But it was too late, the last thing he saw, was black and purple metal glinting at him and glowing blue eyes glaring.

Back on the Eternal, Jason had landed the Independence in the hanger before heading straight for the bridge. Once arriving there, Lacus immediately confronted him.

"Jason!" Where's Nikki? Is she alright?"

Jason sighed and stared out the front of the ship before looking at Kira and Lacus.

"She went to finish off the fleet, she wanted revenge on those that took Kai from her."

Lacus stared at him with concerned eyes. "But…that's not like her, Nikki's not the type of person to go looking for bloodshed and revenge, why is she doing this?

Jason stared intently at her. "Because they killed Kai, that's why. Nikki loved him more than anyone, and after seeing him die like that she just fell apart! Besides I couldn't stop her anyway! She threatened to attack me if I didn't move!"

He breathed in heavily, not realizing just how angry he had sounded to everyone in the room. He glanced at Kira and Lacus and saw them wearing sympathetic expressions.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Lacus walked forward and touched his arm. "What about you? They killed Jenny as well…are you going to be ok?"

Her stare made him feel uncomfortable and he looked away. "Of course I'm not, my girlfriend was just killed, but no matter how bad I may seem to be, it's nothing compared to the state Nikki will be in when she returns."

Right after saying that, a girl spoke up. "Miss Lacus, the Vengeance is returning"

Lacus looked over at her. "Very well, let her in" She heard the door open and turned to see Jason walking out, he glanced back at her, " I'm going down to the hanger; I'll do my best to calm her down before anyone sees her. I'll try not to be long".

The door closed and the room was once again silent. Lacus gazed sadly at the door before walking back and sitting in her chair. Kira walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to look at him.

"Lacus, why don't we go and get some rest, the crew needs it especially after what just happened." Lacus nodded and stood up.

"I want everyone to take this opportunity to relax, the fighting is over. Please all get some well deserved rest, thank you all for your help and support."

The bridge crew stood up and saluted as her and Kira walked out, the door closing behind them.

Jason entered the hanger to see the Vengeance settling into an empty space. For a minute nothing happened, then the cockpit opened and Nikki emerged. She was still for a moment before she kicked off her machine and floated to the ground. Jason went over to her just as she landed. He stared at her, hesitating for a moment.

"Nikki…what happened? Did you confront them?"

Nikki walked forward, not once looking at him or showing her face, but she spoke as she went past him. "They're all dead."

Jason's eyes widened before he turned around just to see the door close behind her. He gazed sadly at the closed door, Nikki was closing herself off…and there was nothing he could do. The only person that could help her…was gone.

Nikki walked quickly down the ships corridors, ignoring anyone that she encountered. She knew that people would be talking about her, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to get to her room and never leave it.

She came to her door and when she was about to walk in, a voice stopped her.

"Nikki, are you ok?"

She turned and saw Lacus standing there; gazing at her with what Nikki thought was the saddest expression she'd ever seen on her sister. But she just couldn't bring herself to care. Her pain was so great that she wasn't able to reach out to her sister. Heavy with guilt, she turned back to the door and muttered, "I'm sorry", before entering her room and the door sliding shut behind her.

Out in the corridor, Lacus sadly turned away and slowly walked back to her own room where Kira was waiting.

In her room, Nikki stripped out of her pilot suit and lay down in her bed. Finally with time to herself, she reflected back on everything that happened. Reaching up to her neck, she lifted up the necklace that Kai had given her.

Kai had necklaces custom made for them, each one held both initials of their first names. The initials were intertwined with each other, a sure sign of their strong love.

Nikki stared at her necklace, thinking about the man she loved. She gripped it tightly as the reality of the battle finally sunk in and the weight of the sorrow from losing her beloved finally took its toll on the young coordinator. Tears flowed down her face as she muttered Kai's name to herself.

No one heard her desperate cries, No one saw the pain she was in. And the only person that could comfort her…was lost. So she could do nothing but continue to let out her pain and grief as she curled into a ball, and cried in the darkness, calling out desperately to her love.

End of Chapter

_**Aaaawww, poor Nikki.**_

_**Nikki: Hey I'm right here you idiot**_

_**Finally pulled your lips away from Kai then? It's like you two are magnets or something!**_

_**Nikki: Well excuse me for being in love!**_

_**Kai: Hey come on ladies settle down**_

_**It's thanks to my and my brilliant imagination that you even have a boyfriend so be grateful!**_

_**Nikki: You think I care? He's still my boyfriend!**_

_**Kai: Girls… hey let's talk about this..**_

_**Girls: SHUT UP!**_

_**Kai: (flinches) Well…they'll be at each other's throats for a while. Why don't we move onto the preview for the next chapter before these two kill each other? See you all in the next chapter!**_

"_Nikki, please…I hate seeing you like this, you know I'm feeling hurt as well, you're not alone in this time of grief."_

_It was like she didn't even hear him. She continued to stare emotionless at the wall opposite her. Jason was starting to get frustrated. _

"_You can't do this to me! You're all I have left! Please! Nikki! Don't shut me out!"_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Memories**

**Well we're back again for the third chapter! Hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! Sorry about the nasty cliff hangers (grins) but hey that's just how I like to end my chapters.**

**Nikki: You really think they care?**

**Of course they do! No one likes to be left hanging with stories!**

**Nikki: Well there are some that don't give a damn!**

**Kai: Hey now girls don't start fighting again.**

**Butt out pretty boy!**

**Nikki: Don't yell at Kai like that!**

**Jason: (pops out of no where) HEY SIS!**

**Nikki: WHAT THE HELL JASON?**

**Ah! Just in time! Everyone allow me to introduce another star of my story, Jason Kazahana!**

**Jason: What's up everyone!**

**Unfortunately I do not own Jason. A good friend of mine created him and his girlfriend Jennifer West who I shall introduce later.**

**Jason: Why not now?**

**Because each character is introduced in each chapter, I thought I explained this!**

**Jason: (wails) But I want my girlfriend!**

**Nikki: Shut it wuss, suck it up and be a man.**

**Jason: You can't tell me what to do!**

**Nikki: (pulls back sleeve) WANNA TRY ME?**

**(Sweat drops)**

**Kai: Why don't we just go on with the story?**

**Good idea! Everyone enjoy! (Cracks knuckles) Now you guys don't want to be erased from my gallery do you?**

**Nikki/Jason: … O.O **

**A soft breeze blew across the land, trees waving gently in response to the soft wind. Waves heaved on to the beach, the tides pulling them back and forth. The moon shone brightly above the peaceful shore, bathing the water with its silver light. The beach was a serene and perfect view, the perfect place for anyone who needed some time with friends, or with the one that they loved.A young girl standing on this very beach stared out at the never-ending waters, a small peaceful smile on her face. Her hair swayed to the timing of the wind as her long brown strands flew over her shoulder and gently across her back. A young man, who gazed lovingly at the girl he saw before him, was watching this sight of beauty with a gentle smile on his face. To him she was the most precious angel; he never wanted to let her go. As much as he was enjoying just staring at her, he wanted to let her know he was there. Quietly he walked up behind her, the smile never leaving his face. The girl apparently heard him, for she turned around and when her soft sky blue eyes settled on him, they lit up and her smile widened. She walked over to him, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. He put out his arms for her and she buried herself into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck, while his in turn settled gently around her waist. They pulled back from their hug slightly to look at each other, neither one fully letting go. Bright blue eyes gazed longingly into soft green eyes; they stared at each other for a long moment before leaning in and meeting the other halfway in perfect bliss. No words needed to be said between the two young lovers. Such was the depth of their love, and in that one moment that they shared, they promised in their hearts, that nothing would tear them apart. They would stand by and love each other forever…that is after all, what true love is.**

Nikki's eyes fluttered open; she blinked her eyes tiredly trying to register what was happening. Her gaze moved around and she saw that she was in her room on the Eternal. The next instant, all the events from the previous day came rushing back and she could feel her heart break all over again. The dream she had was so real, so perfect that she thought it was actually happening. She could still remember the wind blowing her hair gently around, she remembered seeing Kai and feeling happy and complete at the sight of him. She raised her hand and gently touched her fingers to her lips, that kiss had felt so real. Kai always kissed her gently and lovingly, it was just another of the many things she adored about him. Sadness tore through her again, as she realized that she would never again be able to experience that. She could no longer kiss him the way she loved to; she could no longer sink into the warmth of his chest and feel protected in his strong embrace. She would no longer look into those gentle green eyes that told her everyday how much she was loved. But the one thing that she would miss the most, was hearing his voice, his sweet voice telling her that he loved her, telling her that everything will be ok. Nikki gripped the bed sheets, feeling the urge to cry again. Before she had the chance though, a rapid knock sounded at her door.

Jason didn't sleep; he had tossed and turned all through the night, with images of the last battle flashing like a slideshow in his head. He had cried over his loss of Jenny, feeling sad and alone without her. He felt helpless over the fact that he couldn't do anything to help Nikki, who was most likely suffering more than he was. With his friend on his mind he decided to go and see how she was doing. Sitting up in his bed, he felt more tired then he did last night. Forcing himself onto his feet, he stood up and walked out of his room, ignoring the waves of fatigue he was feeling. While walking along the corridors, Jason reflected back to the previous night. He couldn't erase Nikki's expression out of his mind, the rage etched across her normally soft features, how blank and weighed down she seemed upon her return.

Jason sighed as her door came in sight, he knew she'd still be in there; there was no way she would leave her room, especially since there were many of Kai's belongings inside. Breathing in he lifted his hand and knocked on her door. "Nikki? Are you awake?" Hearing no response he walked in, finding her curled on the bed. Sadness filled him as he stared at his best friend.

She was near the edge of the bed, still curled up in a ball. Dry tearstains were on her face, a clear sign that she had been crying. He noticed that she was holding a piece of material close to her face; it took him a moment to realize that it was one of Kai's shirts. Her hands had a deathly grip on it; he knew that if he tried to take it from her she wouldn't let go, not that he would do something like that. But the sight that broke his heart the most, were her eyes. Out on the battlefield she was so angry and sad…but at least then she was showing emotion. Now they were blank, staring across the room, showing no signs of life. The normally bright blue eyes had turned to a dull blue grey, almost as if the light was sucked right out leaving empty orbs to gaze into nothing.

Jason knelt by her bed, not once removing his gaze from her. He wanted to help her, wanted to somehow remove this pain and grief she was feeling. But he wasn't sure what he could do. He had never comforted Nikki before, at least not in a situation as grave as this. The best he had ever done was either make her laugh with his lame jokes or make her yell at him for being an idiot. Now though, he knew he wasn't the one that would be able to bring the spark back into her, he wasn't the one to make her smile again. But he was willing to try; cautiously he laid a hand on her shoulder. She made no sign that he had touched her, let alone that he was there at all, but nevertheless he spoke to her anyway.

"Nikki, please…I hate seeing you like this, you know I'm feeling hurt as well, you're not alone in this time of grief."

It was like she didn't even hear him. She continued to stare emotionless at the wall opposite her. Jason was starting to get frustrated.

"You can't do this to me! You're all I have left! Please! Nikki! Don't shut me out!"

It was no use, she didn't move, or blink or show any sign that he was even there. The only movement that showed she was still alive was the rising of her chest from her uneven breathing.

Letting out a growl, Jason stood up and stalked to the door. He couldn't be around her it was hurting too much. He hated the fact that she had completely closed herself off. Before he walked out he turned his head to look at her again. She still lay there quiet and unmoving, an empty and broken gaze directed across the room. Her hands were still tightly holding onto Kai's shirt, as though it were the only thing keeping her alive.

Jason sighed and headed for the door. There was nothing more he could do for Nikki, not that he was able to do anything anyway. But he knew that if she were to become herself again, then she would have to do that herself. Before he walked out, he stopped and turned his head slightly in her direction.

"You know, I think I prefer you when you yell at me." He hovered for a moment before leaving the room.

Even though she didn't show any life, Nikki heard every word that Jason said. She couldn't help but feel guilty that she was shutting him out. He sounded so desperate when he pleaded with her, begging her to let him in. But she wasn't sure she had the strength to do even that, she felt so tired and lost within her own grief that she couldn't bring out the courage to reach out to others that might also be suffering. She knew Jason understood to some extent how she was feeling; he had lost Jenny, the light of his life. She felt sorrow towards Jenny's death as well. The fiery girl was her best friend and the two girls shared many precious memories of fun times they had together. They also had many secrets, secrets that not even Jason and Kai knew about.

Nikki felt the weight of loss falling on her once again, not only had she lost the love of her life, but now realized she lost what was probably the best friend she'd ever had. Sure she had Jason, but she felt a type of friendship bond with Jenny that she never had with the blonde coordinator. "Probably because we're both girls," She thought distractedly to herself.

Shifting her gaze, Nikki stared at the door. Figuring it probably wouldn't be a good idea to stay in bed all day; she lifted herself up, swang her legs over the bed and sat on the edge. She looked down and noticed she was still holding onto Kai's shirt, lifting it up she stared at it before placing it on the bed. She stood up and walked to the shower to freshen up.

In another part of the ship, Lacus lay awake staring at the ceiling. She had woken a little while ago, her mind clouded with thoughts. The sight of her sisters' broken expression yesterday tore at Lacus's heart. She wanted to talk to Nikki; no she needed to talk to her. The fact that her only family was suffering the way she was, she just couldn't let the matter go. Turning her head, she stared at Kira who was sleeping soundly next to her. She reached over and caressed his cheek before getting out of bed carefully as to not wake up her boyfriend. She slipped on her clothes and walked out, heading for the diner. "May as well get something to eat before I go and see her" She turned a corner and stopped at what she saw. The very girl on her mind was standing near a window, staring out into space. Lacus could hardly believe it; she didn't think Nikki would leave her bedroom so the fact that she was walking around was a good sign that she might be getting better.

Walking up to her, she took the time to look Nikki over. She was freshly dressed in casual clothes; a long sleeved black top and long jeans. Her hair was tied up in its usual high ponytail as the long strands stretched down her back, reaching her tailbone.

When Lacus looked at her face, she could hardly recognise her sister. Nikki's expression hadn't changed from when Jason visited her, so now her younger sister was staring at the same emptiness that her friend has seen.

Lacus wanted to cry, seeing Nikki this way was killing her. Bowing her head slightly, she spoke quietly.

"I…I know I can't make you feel better Nikki, but just remember that you still have me here. I'm your sister, I'll never abandon you."

Lacus didn't once look up as she said this, but she kept going. "Growing up I never knew I even had a sister, but I'm grateful you came into my life when you did. You're the only family I have left now, so I will do whatever it takes to stay by your side."

Her voice was soft and tender with every word, deep meaning flowing through. Lacus wanted Nikki to know how sad she was so she didn't hold back. She was startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder; Lacus looked up to see Nikki staring at her. She wasn't smiling nor were her eyes showing any sort of warmth. But the gentle touch of her hand reassured Lacus that not all was lost. A part of the sister she knew was still there.

Nikki squeezed her shoulder lightly before walking off. As she passed Lacus she whispered "Thank you" before continuing down the corridor.

Lacus turned around and watched the retreating form of her sister. She smiled, a new hope rising in her heart. Maybe not all was lost, maybe with time wounds would repair and Nikki will be back to her normal self. All she could do was hope and pray that things will turn out ok.

"Lacus Clyne to the bridge immediately!" I repeat Lacus Clyne to the bridge immediately!"

Lacus ran quickly to the bridge, wondering what the sudden emergency was. She hoped that there weren't more enemies attacking them, she knew that right now both pilots were in no state to fight.

She rushed into the room, slightly out of breath. She saw Kira turn and was surprised to find an excited look on his face.

"Kira? What's going on? Why are you smiling like that? And when did you wake up?

Ignoring her last question, Kira rushed to her, grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room more. "You're not going to believe this Lacus! We just received a video call a short while ago! I couldn't believe my eyes!"

Lacus stared at him in confusion. "Well who was it then? Must be someone important if it has you this excited."

Kira's smile widened "Well, come see then! We put them on hold until you came down here."

He walked over and pressed a series of buttons. A screen came up and Lacus could've sworn her eyes almost fell out of their sockets when she saw who it was. She looked at Kira, hardly believing what was happening. He just grinned at her and nodded, silently letting her know that this was real. Turning back to the screen, Lacus stepped forward, not really knowing what to say.

The person on the screen smiled at her before chuckling lightly, "Hey Lacus how're things?"

Struggling to find her voice, she smiled and replied…

"Hello Kai"

End of Chapter

**Yush! That's right people! Kai isn't dead! So for those who were devastated there is nothing to fear!**

**Kai: Hey Charli? What did you do to those two?**

**Nikki/Jason: (sitting on floor with blank expressions)**

**(Grins) The thought of not being drawn or written about any more scares the crap out of Nikki since she's my most prized OC. Jason… well I'm not sure because he's not technically my character…**

**Kai: (sighs) oh boy…**

**(Chuckles) Well there's not much happening here with those two out of it, so we'll move on to the preview. See you all in the next chapter! **

A sad expression came over Kai's face as he shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't, like I said it's too risky." He put up a hand before Lacus could protest. "I know we're not making much sense, but I have to ask you, to not tell them that we're alive."

Lacus was horrified. "Why not?" Why can't you talk to her? Please Kai, you haven't seen her, I barely recognise her! You're the only person that can bring the Nikki we all know back."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – The hidden truth**

**Welcome back to the fourth chapter! In the last three I took turns introducing the main cast of the story. And now I will be bringing in the last and final person to join us! Please welcome Jennifer West!**

**Jenny: Hi everyone!**

**Jason: JENNY! (glomps her)**

**Jenny: (giggles) Hi sweetie!**

**Nikki: (gags) Give it a rest guys**

**Jason: Like you're one to talk when you playing tonsil hockey with Kai!**

**Nikki: Shut it before I shove my fist down your throat!**

**Woah! Alright guys lets settle down before blood is spilt.**

**(They don't hear and continue to shout)**

**(Growls) Kai do me a favour and control that girlfriend of yours so we can start the blasted chapter!**

**Kai: No problem (walks over, grabs Nikki and kisses her)**

**Nikki: O.O…(melts)**

**Well….okie I guess that's one way…alrighty! Moving onto the chapter! Aw come on Jason don't you start making out as well! FRIGGIN FIFTH WHEEL MUCH?**

Kai couldn't help but laugh at the stunned expression on Lacus's face. Sure Kira was surprised to see him but when he saw the look on the pink haired girl; it was an effort not to lose it in front of her.

Judging from their reactions, he had a feeling that everyone thought he was dead, but the truth was, both him and Jenny were very much alive. Now what he planned to do was to explain just how that was possible.

His thoughts were interrupted by Lacus's voice. "I don't understand... how did you survive? The ship was destroyed minutes after our warning, how did you get out?"

Kai put his hands up. "Whoa, calm down Lacus, I'll explain, don't you worry. But first I need to know something."

Lacus nodded at him "Of course"

Kai leaned forward, and she saw concern shining in his eyes. "How…how's Nikki?"

Lacus sighed and shook her head. "Not too good is heaven compared to how she's been. After she saw your ship's destruction she…. she just lost it".

Kai became confused. "What do you mean she lost it?"

Lacus turned to the side with a sad expression. Seeing her struggle, Kira stepped forward and took over for his girlfriend.

"After the ship was destroyed, the enemy fleet started retreating. To put it simply, she went after them and wiped them all out. We didn't see any of it, but she came back barely 15 minutes later…it must not have taken her very long to destroy everything."

Kai buried his face in his hands; he couldn't imagine Nikki being that way. She had always told him that she wished to not have to cause unnecessary bloodshed, that all she wanted was peace between Naturals and Coordinators. Now, she tore apart a whole army single handled, all because she thought he had perished in an explosion.

Looking back up at Kira and Lacus he asked "What about Jason?"

Jenny who was on a bed next to him, looked up at Jason's name. He turned to look at her and gave her a nod of reassurance before turning back to the younger couple.

"He's doing better than Nikki is, he did do a lot of crying the first night but he's still showing signs of life at least." Lacus said with a small smile.

Kai nodded, feeling better that at least his best friend was doing ok. Kira suddenly spoke up. "So how did you guys survive?"

Kai sighed. "I will explain but not right now, things are too risky at the moment."

Lacus leaned forward, staring in disbelief at him. "Too risky? What are you talking about? Where are you?"

"We in Orb, that's all we can say for now, we called in behalf of Cagalli. She wants you to navigate your way here, both her and Athrun want to have a word with you…both of you actually, she said it was urgent."

Kira stepped forward. "Very well, we'll make our way down there as soon as possible"

"Wait!" Lacus spoke loudly. "What about Nikki and Jason? Aren't you going to tell them you two are alive? They've been completely miserable since yesterday!

A sad expression came over Kai's face as he shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't, like I said it's too risky." He put up a hand before Lacus could protest. "I know we're not making much sense, but I have to ask you, to not tell them that we're alive."

Lacus was horrified. "Why not?" Why can't you talk to her? Please Kai, you haven't seen her, I barely recognise her! You're the only person that can bring the Nikki we all know back."

Kai sighed deeply before answering. "I know…believe me I know, but I'm not doing this because I don't care. I love Nikki very much and it's killing me to hide this from her. All I want more than anything is to see her face, but I know that if I want to see her without anything bad happening, you have to land safely in Orb first. Please Lacus, the sooner you get here the sooner you'll have your sister back."

Lacus wanted to say something, she wanted to run and tell Nikki that Kai was alive, and that he was waiting for her on Earth. But from the way things sounded there was obviously some danger involved.

Not prying any further, she squared her shoulders and looked at Kai. "Alright, we will head down there as soon as possible; we should be there in the next few days."

Kai nodded at her. "Thank you, look I need to go, I will see you all when you arrive. Take care."

They heard Jenny saying goodbye in the background before the call ended. Lacus turned towards Kira, feeling mixed emotions.

"What do we do now Kira? How am I supposed to last a few days without telling Nikki? She's been so lost without him, how can I hold such a secret when she's slowly dying inside?"

Kira gently put his arms around her in a hug. "We'll do our best to look out for her, Nikki needs at least someone to be there for her." He pulled back and held her at arms length. "You should go to her Lacus, you're her sister. You're all she has for now, go and comfort her. Even if she doesn't say anything to you, let her know that you care about her."

Lacus smiled at him, before leaning up and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "Thank you Kira, you always know what to say to me."

Giving him one last peck, she walked out of the bridge with her boyfriend smiling after her.

Meanwhile in Orb, Kai was gazing sadly at the now blank screen of the computer. When Lacus had told him the state Nikki was in, he was very tempted to just drop everything and fly up to the Eternal himself. He knew that his supposed death would affect her in some way, but he had no idea it would be that bad. Lacus had told him that she could barely recognise Nikki, the thought that she was in a state where she was not herself, scared him. The girl he saw in his mind was happy, her eyes sparkling with life whenever she was excited about something. The fiery, yet lively glare she would give Jason when he annoyed her. These small things were what defined Nikki, and imagining her otherwise was something Kai couldn't do. Reaching into a pocket in his shirt, he pulled out a gently folded piece of paper. Unfolding it he gazed at the two people in the picture.

It was a divided photo with two pictures, both of Nikki and himself. They were taken a few weeks earlier, before they were pulled into this chaos. Jason had taken them both, in the first one Kai was sitting behind her with his arms lazily resting over her shoulders; she was reaching up, holding onto his arms while leaning back into his chest, both wearing happy carefree smiles. Kai ran his thumb over Nikki's face before turning his attention to the second picture. Nikki had reached up with a hand and pulled Kai's face towards hers. The photo showed her caressing his face with one hand, while he had tightened his hold on her, the two sharing a deep and passionate kiss.

While Kai stared at the photo in his hand, Jenny watched him from where she was sitting on the bed with a small smile. She knew what picture he was looking at; from the look in his eyes she knew that he missed Nikki terribly.

She remembered the day the photos were taken, the four of them had gone on a picnic in a park for fun. Jason had brought his camera, and had started taking pictures of random things around them. He had decided to be sneaky so he snuck up close to Nikki and Kai, who were snuggled together in an intimate moment. The flash caused them to look up in surprise while Jason burst out laughing. Just as he was about to take another one, Nikki had turned around and very passionately kissed Kai. Although both pictures were jokes, Nikki and Kai wanted to keep them for the memory. So they printed out two copies and kept one each.

Jenny shook her head in amusement; her precious Jason never knew when to stop. When he does something to Nikki, she's always able to plant revenge on him. She wondered when he was going to learn his lesson.

Looking back over at Kai, she saw he was still gazing at the two pictures, his thumb caressing the photo. Jenny had to admit, as much as she loved Jason, there was just something about the other two that was unexplainable. The love they shared was so strong and passionate that it made a bond that was impossible to break. She often wished she had that level of understanding with her boyfriend.

Standing up, she stretched her arms over her head. The sudden movement snapped Kai out of whatever trance he was in, as he turned and looked over at her.

"How're you doing Jen?"

She smiled at him "Oh I'm fine, I just wondered off into space for a moment"

Kai gave a crooked grin. "Yeah I suppose I did too."

Jenny giggled, "Obviously thinking about Nikki…am I right?"

She laughed when she saw a slight blush appear on Kai's face.

"Well…of course I'm thinking about her, she's my girlfriend isn't she?"

Kai turned back and stared at the photo for another moment, before folding it and placing it carefully back into his pocket. He looked back at Jenny to see her giving him a sweet smile causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"What?"

She leaned forward a little staring intently at him, making him feel a little uneasy. "You really love her don't you?"

Kai was startled by the seriousness of the question, but he answered back with a gentle smile. "Yeah…I really do, more than anything."

Jenny leaned back again and turned chirpy again. "Well that's great! Well we better get things prepared around here; we'll be seeing them in a few days!"

She skipped out of the room, leaving Kai staring after her in awe. He found it amazing how she changed moods so quickly, but he guessed that was one of the mysterious things about Jenny. Looking back around the room, he saw that it was a bit of a mess.

"Don't want Nikki chewing me out for being a slob, guess I better start cleaning."

He moved around, picking up clothes, all the while with his mind on a girl with bright sky blue eyes and long wavy brown hair, thinking about just how much he missed her and how he couldn't wait to see her again.

Back on the Eternal, things were starting to become livelier. Lacus had announced that in a few days they would be landing in Orb, so everyone was rushing around getting ready for a well-deserved vacation.

The two pilots however didn't take much notice; Jason was in his room packing his clothes, deep in thought about what he was going to do once arriving there. Orb held many memories for him and his friends, and the thought of walking around slightly scared him. It was going to be painful thinking about everything that he had done there with Jenny, but he knew he had to be strong. After packing everything, he sat on his bed still thinking. He was planning on following Nikki wherever she went, just to make sure she didn't do anything stupid, he knew she wouldn't but he wanted to make sure anyway. With his mind made up, he continued sitting in the dark, waiting patiently until the ship arrived into the neutral country.

Meanwhile in Nikki's room, she was sitting on a chair, staring blankly at the clothes on her bed. She had yet to pack but she wasn't in any rush, they still had a couple of days before they would reach Orb.

She wasn't sure what she wanted to do once arriving there, maybe just walking around and getting some fresh air. An idea suddenly crossed her mind; there was a certain place that was precious to her. It held many memories for her and Kai, and despite how painful it might be to go there, it was one of the quietest places and it would allow her more time to think. Finally deciding, she stood up, walked over to her bed and slowly started packing her things.

While she was packing, a light knock was heard on her door. "Come in" she called out and turned to see her sister walk in.

Lacus smiled nervously at her. "Hey Nikki…um…can I talk to you?"

Nikki nodded. "Sure, come sit down."

The two girls sat on the bed; it was silent for a minute before Lacus turned to the older girl.

"Listen, I know you're hurting…but I want to do what I can to help you. You're all I have left of family Nikki, and seeing you this way is tearing me apart."

Nikki sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm grateful you're here Lacus." She turned her head away. "But I need some time. This pain is unbearable, and I need to deal with it. If you want me to be the way I was, you're just going to have to wait and be patient" She looked back at Lacus. "Ok?"

Lacus smiled at her, this was the most Nikki has said since her return from the battle and was happy her sister was opening up enough to let her know what was on her mind.

Feeling better she nodded. "Ok Nikki, if you want your space I can give it to you, but I'm always here alright? Remember that."

Nikki nodded, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face.

Smiling back, Lacus stood up. "I'll be on the bridge if you need me." She let her gaze linger on her sister for a minute before walking out of the room.

Nikki watched her sister leave. She was grateful that Lacus was there, and that she was offering her comfort. She felt horrible pushing her sister away slightly. But she knew that Lacus understood and that her sister was there when she needed her. Content with that thought, she turned back to her clothes and continued packing, patiently waiting for their arrival to Orb.

The two days journey to Earth was uneventful for those on the Eternal. Because it was a warship there wasn't much to do. Some people had brought something of their own to occupy themselves with like a book or a pack of cards to play with friends. Most people though were just talking amongst themselves or lazing around. All in all it was mostly quiet, so when it was announced that they would be descending and arriving in Orb soon, there was a flurry of activity as people rushed back and forth in excitement.

In her room, Nikki heard the announcement of the ships descent. She stood up from the chair she was sitting on and walked over to the door. Opening it, she peered around the corners looking out for anyone that might run past. She was well aware that people were happy and rushing around the ship, so she didn't want the risk of accidentally running into someone.

After checking again that it was clear, she made her way down the corridor and wondered over to the first window she came across. Walking over she stared out and saw they were in the middle of landing on Earth. She felt the weight as the Earth's gravity pulled the ship down into its atmosphere, and after another minute she saw the planets blue skies and green lands. It had been a few weeks since she had been on Earth and had almost forgotten just how beautiful it all was. Around her she could hear crewmembers pointing and gazing in awe at the planets' wonders. Most of the ships recruits were still young and fresh from the PLANTS, so coming to Earth was a new and wonderful experience for them.

Not wanting to be around when it became crowded, Nikki walked back to her room to collect her belongings. Entering her room she went over to her bed where her bag was. Picking it up, she slung it over her shoulder and made her way back to the door. Before exiting, she stopped and looked back, giving the room a final glance. She wasn't sure when she would be coming back to this ship, but knew she wouldn't ever forget it. After double-checking that everything was in order, she walked out and started making her way towards the ships entrance.

End of Chapter

_**Hmm well not much excitement coming from Nikki right now.**_

_**Nikki: Can you blame me? I think my boyfriend is dead, wouldn't you be in a right state as well?**_

_**Finally pulled away from Kai's mouth have you?**_

_**Nikki: (blushes) Shut up….**_

_**(grins) Hey…where did Jason and Jenny go?**_

_**Nikki: Don't know don't care.**_

_**Kai: They went off somewhere**_

_**Jenny: (appears out of nowhere) I'M HERE!**_

_**GAAHH! Holy HELL! Give me a heart attack why don't you?**_

_**Jenny: Yay!**_

_**(groans) Glad you're happy. Where your hubby be at?**_

_**Jenny: Bathroom!**_

_**Ok I'm sorry I asked. Moving onto the preview!**_

_**Jenny: Hello to all of you people reading this!**_

_**THANK YOU! **_

_**Jenny: …sorry….**_

_**(rolls eyes) See you all next chapter!**_

_There sat Kai and Jenny, who, at the sound of the door opening, lifted their heads and stared at him. When seeing who it was, Jenny stood up from her spot on the bed and smiled brightly at him._

"_Jason!" _

_Kai also stood from his chair and grinned at his best friend. _

"_Hey there mate, how've you been?" Jenny rushed over and threw her arms around him. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you! I've missed you so much!"_

_Finally realizing that his best friend and girlfriend were actually real and not a figment of his imagination, he hugged his girlfriend tightly, feeling happier than he had in a long time._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Surprises

Kai: Hey people! Welcome to chapter five! In case you're wondering where out author is, she's uh… busy!"

_**Nikki: Busy? (snorts) She has her eyes glued to the TV and is watching all this anime! **_

_**Kai: Well…she told me she'd be busy…**_

_**Nikki: WELL SHE LIED! Nothing but petty excuses!**_

_**Jenny: Hey has anyone seen Jason?**_

_**Nikki: (sighs) He's in watching with anime as well…**_

_**Jenny: Ah! I'm gonna go see him! –runs out of the room- SEE YA LATER!**_

_**Kai: Guess we better start the chapter…**_

_**Nikki: Yeah I guess…wanna make out?**_

_**Kai: (grins)**_

With the Eternals arrival coming closer, Kai and Jenny were just as busy making everything ready. The day they were due to land in Orb, they had some spare time to personally prepare themselves for seeing Nikki and Jason.

Kai had to admit he was nervous and excited all at once. He had never been apart from Nikki for more than a day since he started dating her. So seeing her after 3 days of being apart made him slightly apprehensive. He sat on his bed, anxiously waiting for someone to tell him when the Eternal arrived, his hands were slightly sweating and he could feel tight knots gathering in his stomach. A knock on the door made him slightly jump, he turned to see Jenny walk in.

"Hey Jen, are they here yet?"

She shook her head "Not yet, I had some time to kill so I thought I'd come see what you were up to."

Kai gave her a sheepish grin "Well I don't have anything to do either so I'm just waiting for someone to tell me when they get here."

Jenny rolled her eyes at him. "Honestly, you're acting like you haven't seen her in years, it's only been a few days."

Kai suddenly looked serious. "Well I know, but it's not just because of that. For the last few days Nikki's been thinking I'm dead…I wonder how she'll react when she sees me."

Jenny noticed that he seemed nervous; she knew she was nervous about seeing Jason as well but wondered if it was for the same reason. Letting out a sigh, she sat down next to him.

"Well, I'll give you my honest opinion if you really want it." Kai turned his head and stared at her curiously. Jenny gave a little smile. "I think she will be more than happy to see you, I mean think about it, 3 days ago she watched your ship explode and thought that you had died along with it. Seeing you alive…well, if Nikki has a moment so happy where she cries a lot than I'm gonna say that your reunion with her will be one of those moments." She gave him a caring smile. "So you don't have to worry, she'll be overjoyed to be with you again."

Kai smiled in return. "Thanks Jen"

She gave him a playful sisterly punch on the shoulder "Anything for a good friend"

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door and an officer opened the door.

"You two need to get yourselves prepared, the Eternal has just docked. Representative Attha wants to see you two immediately"

He rushed out before either of them could reply; glancing at each other they stood up and headed out the door.

Kai and Jenny rushed down the hall towards Cagalli's office. They wanted to be quick with whatever the Representative wanted, both were anxious to see Nikki and Jason.

Upon reaching her door, Kai knocked on it. Inside they heard ruffling movements before hearing Cagalli's voice. "Come in!" They walked in to see her putting papers away, seeing them she smiled. "I appreciate you two coming, please have a seat." She gestured to the two seats in front of her desk. Sitting down Kai looked around. "Where's Athrun?"

Cagalli waved her hand dismissively. "He's gone on some errands, now the reason I asked you down here." She leaned forward linking her fingers, staring at the two in front of her. "I know you're anxious to see Nikki and Jason, but I need you two to stay inside."

Kai hung his head while Jenny stood up. "You can't be serious! I know there were risks before but this is just ridiculous! This is Orb for crying out loud, what's the harm on stepping out for a few minutes and-"

She was interrupted when Cagalli slammed her hands on her desk. "It doesn't matter! Even going outside is too dangerous for you two!"

The room was silent after Cagalli's outburst. Kai looked back and forth between the two girls, slightly taken back by what had just happened. Slowly he put a hand on Jenny's shoulder, making her sit back down before turning back to Cagalli.

"We understand the danger Cagalli, if you like, we'll wait in our rooms and Nikki and Jason can come to us, that would probably be the safest solution."

Cagalli nodded at him, calming herself down. "Good idea, Kai. Ill let them both know the rooms you're staying in as soon as they arrive."

Jenny silently agreed with a slight inclination of her head, she knew the risk of going out but she hated been cooped inside all the time. Just for a little while she'd like to go out and have a little freedom. _"Maybe after seeing Nikki and Jason they'll let us out for a few hours"_

Cagalli stood up, causing Kai and Jenny to stand up as well. "I'm sorry to keep you two in here, but I swore to protect you both, and especially after the incident a few days ago I wanted to do my best to keep you safe until the Eternal arrived. Just relax for now; I'll let Nikki and Jason know where you are."

Kai smiled and bowed at her before walking out, Jenny following him. After the door closed, Cagalli sat back down. She felt guilty keeping the two of them inside, but she felt it was part of her responsibility to keep them protected at all times. Once the other two arrived she could relax, Nikki and Jason were highly skilled and strong coordinators. Once they were here she would have nothing to worry about. Letting out another sigh, she pulled a file out of her desk drawer, not looking forward to all the paperwork she needed to finish.

On the Eternal, Nikki leaned against a wall near the ships entrance. Around her, other young teenagers chatted away excitedly about fun things they wanted to do once they were allowed out. Nikki slightly glared at the younger crew before turning the other way. Seeing them all this happy aggravated her, she just wanted to get out of this blasted ship and have some time alone.

From the other end of the corridor, Jason made his way down keeping a look out for his friend. Spotting two girls, he approached them wondering them if maybe they had seen her.

"Hey, excuse me ladies." The girls giggled at sight of him making Jason sigh impatiently. "I was wondering if you've seen a girl go past you, she's kind of tall and has long brown hair. Did you see her go past here?"

One of the girls gave him a shy look before answering. "Oh you mean Commander Clyne? Yes we did, she didn't look too happy. She went down to the end there where everyone else is."

Jason nodded at her. "Thanks for your help." He walked off leaving the two girls giggling at him.

Walking through the crowd he finally spotted Nikki standing up against a far wall, a little distance away from the other crewmembers. He made his way over to her and leant on the wall next to her.

"So…what're you gonna do once we're let out?"

Nikki glanced at him for a second before looking back the other way. "Go walking" She blankly replied.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "I see, mind if I come with you? I want some fresh air before I head to ORB HQ."

Nikki slightly shrugged, indicating she didn't really care. Suddenly the ships doors opened and Lacus's voice was heard. "_We have arrived in Orb, everyone please enjoy your stay here."_

Jason raised an eyebrow. " Leave it up to Lacus to sound nice and friendly while dismissing everyone."

He turned to see Nikki had already disappeared; he grabbed his bag and rushed out to find her. Spotting her several metres ahead, he silently followed her. She needed her space, so he walked behind her at a safe distance.

Nikki walked along the streets, paying no heed to the citizens around her. Her goal right now was to reach the one place that held meaning to her, once there she could finally relax. All of a sudden she felt her arm being grabbed and she was roughly yanked to the side. A large hand covered her mouth and she could feel an arm feeling her around the waist, a hand snaking up her top. She heard a deep voice in her ear. "You're a cute one, how about you come with me and we'll have some fun." Repulsed at being touched, she forced her arm out and elbowed him hard in the stomach. The man doubled over, distracted from the pain. Forcing him onto the ground with her leg, Nikki grabbed his arms and pulled them behind him. Around them, people stared in awe at her, amazed that a girl was able to defend herself that way.

Holding both of his arms with one hand, she grabbed the back of his collar with the other and pulled him up. Leaning in she spoke dangerously into his ear.

"You touch me like that again, and I'll rip your arms off" To show that she wasn't joking; she pulled his arms back further causing him to yelp in pain. "One more inch and I can remove them from their sockets…so I suggest you stay the hell away from me."

She let go of his arms, before violently kicking him, sending him flying. He landed with a thud a few metres away. Nikki gave him one last glare before walking away, ignoring the many stares that followed her.

A little ways away, Jason saw the whole event. When he saw the man grab her, his first instinct was to go and help, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw Nikki flip the guy around and force him onto the ground. He tried not to laugh, even in a depressed mood she was able to kick the ass of any pervert that tried to hit on her.

He then saw her walk away as if nothing had happened. Jason shrugged, not to sure with what _had_ just happened, before continuing to follow her.

Nikki continued to walk for while, barely aware of anything around her. She knew Jason was following her. After the attempted assault from the thug, she saw him watching from a little ways away. But she didn't care, he was most probably bored so she heed him no attention. Turning a final corner she found herself at the place she was searching for. Tree's surrounded the area, soft green grass covered the ground and a small playground could be seen on the other side. The park wasn't overly too big, not many people were around, but for Nikki it was the most important place to her. She walked up a little ways, making her way up a small hill. Looking out it showed some of the rest of the city, there wasn't too much to look at but Nikki always enjoyed the view. She stood in between two trees that seem to make a doorway for her. She gazed out into the distance, once again lost in thought.

Jason continued to follow Nikki through the streets of Orb, fully aware that she was heading for the park. She and Kai had shared special moments there; it was the place they first confessed to each other, shared their first kiss together and gone on many dates there to spend some quality time with each other. And now she had gone there to most likely think about all those precious memories.

Turning the corner he spotted her standing on the small hill of the park. He made his way towards her and stopped a few metres away. The two stood in silence, Nikki too engrossed in her thoughts to say anything, and Jason to scared to speak. After a few minutes Jason finally spoke, the silence unnerving him.

"Nikki, you can't keep doing this to yourself"

She paid him no attention and just kept her blank stare ahead of her. This lifeless attitude of hers was starting to get on Jason's nerves.

"Look! I know how you're feeling! I lost Jenny remember? Don't go acting like you're the only one that's suffering!"

It was like déjà vu, he had yelled at her this way before, just recently on the Eternal. But no matter what he did to try and reach out to her, it didn't seem like Nikki was going to say anything to him.

Jason let out a growl but this time spoke calmly. "Fine, be that way, but just so you know…Kai wouldn't want you to be like this."

He saw her flinch slightly, but she stayed silent. Suddenly Jason's phone rang, interrupting the tense moment. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his phone and stared at it. Seeing it was Lacus, he flipped it open and brought it up to his ear.

"Hey, Lacus"… Oh ok…no it's not a problem, ill make my way over now…thanks, bye"

Hanging up, he placed the phone back into his pocket before turning to Nikki. "I'll be back, Lacus needs me for something" He turned around, glancing at her once more "Don't do anything stupid"

He walked off, leaving her alone. As soon as he turned the corner, Nikki closed her eyes and a single tear rolled down her face. "Kai…."

Jason hurriedly made his way to the Orb's Headquarters. He felt slightly uneasy leaving Nikki by herself, he knew that if her emotions were triggered in any way then she would go back to the way she was on the ship and he felt someone needed to stay with her in case that happened.

Reaching the main doors, he rushed in startling the two men guarding the entrance. Ignoring them, he quickened his pace and headed the direction Lacus told him. A few minutes later he found himself at an office door, he lifted his hand and knocked.

"Come in Jason" Lacus said from inside. He walked in to find that she wasn't alone. Lacus stood near the side with Kira next to her. Cagalli and Athrun both stood behind the desk, all four staring at him, Jason saluted all of his commanding officers before walking forward and standing in front of the desk.

"So…why exactly did you call me here?"

The room was silent for a moment before Cagalli answered him.

"We have something we thought you might like to see."

Jason stared at her confused. "What do you mean, what is it?"

Cagalli turned to Athrun and nodded at him. He walked around the desk and held out a small card for Jason to take. He took it and looked down at it, the number 21 was printed clearly on the front. He flipped it over to find nothing else, feeling confused. Holding it up he looked at Athrun in disbelief.

"What the hell is this? You give me a card with a number on it, what is that supposed to mean?"

"It's a room number," replied Athrun. "You are to go to this room, and there you will find something that will surprise and please you."

Jason looked back down at the card still not quite understanding. "So…do you want me to go there right now?"

Cagalli spoke from where she was standing. "It's best you do, the sooner the better."

Shaking his head, he turned and made his way out. After he left, Lacus turned to Cagalli.

"Maybe we shouldn't have been so vague and formal with him." Cagalli looked back at her.

"I didn't want to give away too much, but don't worry he'll get a nice surprise once he gets there."

Jason walked down the long hall, staring at the doors as he walked past. Finally finding "21" he stopped and stood in front of it for a moment. What was inside? What was in that room? Athrun had told him that in this room there would be something that would please him. _"Well that just makes a lot of sense, there are many things that could please me" _Not wasting anymore time, he placed his hand around the doorknob and walked in. As soon as he stepped into the room, Jason halted in his tracks at the sight before him.

There sat Kai and Jenny, who, at the sound of the door opening, lifted their heads and stared at him. When seeing who it was, Jenny stood up from her spot on the bed and smiled brightly at him.

"Jason!"

Kai also stood from his chair and grinned at his best friend.

"Hey there mate, how've you been?" Jenny rushed over and threw her arms around him. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you! I've missed you so much!"

Finally realizing that his best friend and girlfriend were actually real and not a figment of his imagination, he hugged his girlfriend tightly, feeling happier than he had in a long time.

End of Chapter

_**(Walks in and stretches) ooooh yeah gotta love those maratho-….O.O**_

_**Nikki/Kai: (making out heavily on a couch)**_

_**WHAT THE FRIGGIN HELL?**_

_**Nikki: (jumps off Kai) WOAH! Hey! Don't you friggin knock?**_

_**Why should I it's my house!**_

_**Jason: Wassup people!**_

_**Nikki: JASON! Quite sneaking up on me like that!**_

_**Jason: Sorry sis!**_

_**Nikki: I'M NOT YOUR SISTER!**_

_**(Sweat drops) Huh…wonder where Jenny went…oh well! Here's the preview for the next chapter! Hey Nikki get Jason out of that chokehold!**_

_Nikki's heart was thumping loudly in her chest and it only increased when he started walking towards her. She couldn't move, couldn't even blink. Before she knew it he was right in front of her, gazing at her with his soft green eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat from the intense stare he was giving her. He lifted his right hand and gently brushed it across her cheek. She almost shivered at his touch, but didn't break her gaze from his. It was when he once again spoke to her, that she knew that it was really him. _

"_Nikki…it's me"_

_Her eyes shone with emotion as tears flowed down her face. The sorrow she had felt during the last three days burst out and the emotional walls she had barricaded around herself came crashing down. _


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Reunions

_**Jenny: Hi everyone! A very warm welcome to you all as we begin chapter six!**_

_**Jason: Hey babe, where our author be at?**_

_**Jenny: Oh…we won't be seeing her today she's rather depressed.**_

_**Nikki: (walks in) Hey guys**_

_**Jenny: Oh Nikki! How is she?**_

_**Nikki: Not so good, she isn't responding to much.**_

_**Jenny: Poor girl**_

_**Kai: What's the matter with her?**_

_**Nikki: Boy issues**_

_**Jason: (snorts) She's so dramatic**_

_**Nikki: (grabs his shirt) SHUT THE HELL UP YOU INSENSITIVE GIT! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF JENNY DUMPED YOUR SORRY ARSE?**_

_**Kai: Woah! Nikki calm down!**_

_**Jenny: …Well…not much happening here so…enjoy the next chapter folks!**_

Jason kept his tight hold on Jenny; not wanting to ever let her go. He couldn't believe that she was alive, was here holding him. He glanced up at Kai, who was smiling at the couple. He grinned and nodded at him, pulling back from Jenny he looked back and forth between the two of them.

"I don't understand…how is this possible? We saw the ship and-"

Kai interrupted him. "Slow down mate, we'll tell you everything, but not until everyone is here."

He looked at Jason "Where's Nikki? We can't explain everything until she is here as well."

Jason suddenly felt excited, Kai was alive and seeing him will hopefully bring Nikki back to her normal self.

Throwing him a grin, Jason told him, "She's at the park a little ways from here" He gave Kai a smirk. "She'll definitely be happy to see you"

Kai smirked back at him, "Thanks mate, I'll go and find her" He then smiled at Jenny, then back at Jason. "I'll leave you two alone."

He clamped Jason on the shoulder, before leaving the room. Jason turned back to his girlfriend to see her smiling at him; he smiled back at her. He lifted his hand and gently lifted her bangs from her face to gaze into her eyes.

"I thought you were dead…I thought…I thought I had lost you"

Jenny saw how sad he was and could only imagine how hard the last few days had been for him. She reached up and brushed her fingers across his cheek in an effort to comfort him.

"I'm sorry Jason, we desperately wanted to tell you that we were ok, it pained me to have to keep everything from you."

Jason smiled reassuringly at her. "I'm sure it was for a good cause, and besides that's behind us now. All that matters is that you're here and alive, that's all I care about."

Removing his hand from her face, he reached down and once again wrapped his arms around her lovingly. Jenny put her arms around him and returned his hug and the two stood there in silence just happy to stay in the others embrace.

Kai made his way towards Cagalli's office. If he wanted to see Nikki, he needed the Representatives permission to leave the building. But he knew that despite her answer he'd head for the park anyway, there was nothing that would keep him from seeing his girlfriend.

Once reaching the office door, he walked straight in without bothering to knock and immediately regretted it. Athrun and Cagalli were making out heavily on the desk and when they heard the door open, Athrun sprung off her in fright from the sudden arrival. He glared when he saw it was only Kai, who gave him a sheepish and embarrassed grin. Cagalli lifted herself off the desk, and straightened her clothes before facing Kai.

"There better be a good reason for you barging in here without knocking, Rodgericks"

Kai gulped, knowing he was in trouble from the use of his last name. Squaring his shoulders, he walked forward.

"Actually I do have a good reason."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And what might that be?"

He leaned forward, determined to get his way. "Jason arrived alone; he informed me that Nikki had gone off to a park not too far away from here."

Cagalli knew where he was going with this. "So you want to go out and see her, am I correct?

Kai nodded in affirmation. "She may not make her way here for hours, considering the mood she's in. I need to see her; I can bring her back here myself."

Cagalli knew how badly he wanted to see Nikki, but the possible danger was digging on her conscience. Sighing she looked at him closely.

"I'm sorry Kai... you know I can't allow that."

Kai wasn't one to lose his temper much, but in situations like this, he can be very angry when he wanted to be, especially when it came down to Nikki. Slamming his hands on her desk he glared at the blonde girl across from him.

"Don't you have a frigging heart? The girl I love more than anything is out there, probably have suicidal thoughts! Why? Because she thinks I'm DEAD! And if you think I'm just going to idly sit by and take these pathetic orders from you, well you're mistaken! I'm going to find Nikki, and don't even think about stopping me!"

In a rage, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Cagalli flinched while Athrun stared in awe.

"Wow, didn't know Kai had it in him, he always seems like such a soft guy."

Cagalli sighed, "When it comes to Nikki, all things are possible I guess."

Athrun turned to her. "Should I have someone follow him, just in case?"

She shook her head. "No, leave him be, he wants to be left alone with her. After everything that's happened, he at least deserves that much."

Walking along the street, Kai was regretting his outburst in the office. It was rare for him to explode like that, but he couldn't help himself. Nikki needed him, and from what Jason told him, he was the only person that could make her happy again. The thought of his girlfriend caused him to quicken his pace. He wove through the crowd; humbly apologizing to anyone he bumped into. Finally reaching the park, he hastily looked around. There were a few children running around, their mother desperately trying to keep them together. An elderly couple were snuggled on a bench, watching the now setting sun. It was when he turned towards the sunset that he saw her. From where he was standing, the person looked like nothing more than a silhouette. But he could see the long hair blowing gently in the wind, and he knew it was the girl he was looking for. Walking around, he decided to approach her from the side so he could see her face before revealing himself, but also kept himself hidden enough so she wouldn't know who he was. He stopped once he was a close enough distance from her, and when he looked at her, he could feel his heart break. Never before had he seen such an empty look on Nikki, she always had a smile whenever she was around him. But looking at her now, all he saw was a broken girl, who looked like she had nothing else to live for. He felt guilt tear at his heart; he had done this to her. His supposed death had affected her so much that it had broken her. He wanted to see her smile again; he wanted to see the sparkle in her eyes that could light up any sky. He wanted her to be happy again. Slowly he began to walk forward, her voice stopping him momentarily in his tracks.

"What did Lacus want?"

Her voice was so cold, so lifeless. He figured she must've thought he was Jason from the way she sounded, so he softly spoke her name.

"Nikki"

Nikki didn't move an inch after Jason left. She just continued to stand there looking out into the city. She wasn't sure how much time had past, but figured it was getting late when she saw the sun starting to go down. She decided to watch the sunset, giving her more of a reason to stay where she was.

She suddenly heard footsteps behind her, she ignored them thinking it must be Jason. She saw someone stop beside her, and they simply stared at her. Thinking that the blonde idiot was probably trying to annoy her, she spoke. "What did Lacus want?" The person, who had walked forward again, had stopped in their tracks. Hearing no response, she was about to speak again when she heard her name being whispered by a voice she never thought she would hear again. "Nikki" She shook her head, thinking she was hearing things, but the person next to her was still there staring at her. Slowly she turned and saw Kai smiling gently at her. Her eyes widened, hardly believing what she was seeing.

"_K…Kai? But…it can't be! How is this possible?"_

Kai smiled bemusedly at the expression on Nikki's face, he supposed he couldn't blame her for being so shocked. For days she thinks he's dead, and now all of a sudden he's standing right in front of her. He knew he'd definitely be surprised if it was the other way around. He noticed she was still staring open mouthed at him and was feeling the slight impression that maybe she thought he was an impostor or something.

"_Well we certainly can't have that," _He thought with amusement. Slowly he started walking towards her.

Nikki's heart was thumping loudly in her chest and it only increased when he started walking towards her. She couldn't move, couldn't even blink. Before she knew it he was right in front of her, gazing at her with his soft green eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat from the intense stare he was giving her. He lifted his right hand and gently brushed it across her cheek. She almost shivered at his touch, but didn't break her gaze from his. It was when he once again spoke to her, that she knew that it was really him.

"Nikki…it's me"

Her eyes shone with emotion as tears flowed down her face. The sorrow she had felt during the last three days burst out and the emotional walls she had barricaded around herself came crashing down. Letting out a sob, she threw her arms around his neck, burying herself into his chest. Kai wrapped his arms around her waist; he could feel her shaking and noticed his shirt becoming wet from her tears. She was letting everything out; the anger towards those she thought had killed him, the pain as she cried for hours every night and the emptiness she felt without having him in her life.

With tears still flowing, she lifted her head. Choking on her voice, she whispered in his ear.

"You're alive."

Feeling an emotional lump in his throat, he tightened his hold on her as he bent down and spoke softly.

"I promised I would never leave you."

For the first time in a long time, Nikki smiled.

The two lovers continued to hold each other, neither one wanting to let go. Finally though, Kai remembered the risk of being outside so he gently pulled out of the hug to look at Nikki's face. She had stopped crying, her eyes were shining with love for him and she was wearing a bright smile. He leaned down and kissed her gently. She responded back, her hand reaching up to stroke the side of his face. The moment was short-lived however as they parted and smiled lovingly at each other. Walking to her side, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"We should head back... it's getting late, besides Jenny is anxious to see you too."

Nikki's eyes lit up even more (if it were possible) at hearing her best friends name.

"Jenny's alive too?"

Kai chuckled at her excited expression. "Yeah, she is. She's with Jason at the moment; I gave the two of them some time alone."

She smiled at him, as the two started making their way back to their friends.

While walking, Nikki suddenly felt tired. She lent her head on Kai's shoulder, who turned his head to look at her.

"Feeling tired?"

She yawned in response before smiling at him. " A little."

She let out a startled squeal when Kai suddenly picked her up bridal style. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you planning on carrying me the whole way?"

He grinned and motioned to his shoulder with a jerk of his head.

"Get some rest. Don't worry you're light as a feather"

Nikki smiled. Leaning forward she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before settling her head down on his shoulder near the crook of his neck, falling asleep almost instantly. Kai smiled down at her, and he continued the walk back to where their friends were waiting for them, his girlfriend sleeping peacefully in his arms.

Back in their room, Jason and Jenny were sitting comfortably together on the bed. Her head was on his shoulder while he had his arm sitting snugly around her waist.

Jenny peered up at her boyfriend. "They're taking a while aren't they?"

Jason snorted. "Probably having mushy time together, knowing what those two are like."

He slightly flinched when the girl next to him lightly slapped him on the arm.

"And what do you mean by that Kazahana?"

Before Jason could retort back, the door opened revealing Kai carrying a sleeping Nikki. He smiled at the two of them before making his way to the bed. Jason and Jenny stood up to give him room. Kai placed his girlfriend on the bed, and covered her with the bed sheets. He kissed her forehead and stood up to face the other couple to find them both staring in awe at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Jason grinned at his best friend. "Mate you never cease to amaze me."

Kai shrugged. "She was tired, so I let her sleep and carried her. What's so amazing about that?

"The blonde stared incredulously at him. "Are you kidding me, she's actually sleeping! That's a miracle in itself!"

Kai stared at his best friend. "You saying she hasn't been sleeping well either?"

Jason shook his head. "She barely slept at all. I made a habit of walking past her room at night, and each time I could hear her crying. She would sleep for a little while, but only after she bawled her eyes out for several hours."

Kai turned and gazed sadly at the sleeping brunette, realizing that she had suffered a lot more than he thought she had. With a heavy heart he turned to Jenny.

"Maybe it couldn't have hurt to tell them Jen, it would've spared them the pain they had to go through."

Jenny sighed, "I know, but it wasn't my decision, I protested against the idea. I wanted to tell Jason straight away that we had survived."

Jason reached over and gripped his girlfriend's hand. "It's alright now Jen, we know you're alive now."

He then turned to look at Nikki. She had a peaceful smile on her face. He hadn't seen her this happy in days and he was relieved to see that she was now going to be ok, Jason turned to smile at Kai.

"Thanks for bringing her back mate; she really wasn't the same without you around."

Kai smiled in return "I'd do anything for her, you know I would."

Jason started pulling Jenny towards the door. "We'll go back to our own room, you can tell us everything when Nikki wakes up."

Kai nodded at him "Thanks, we'll catch up later then."

Jason nodded and was about to leave before something crossed his mind. He turned back to Kai. "By the way, I noticed Nikki didn't have her bag, she probably left it at the park. We'll go back there and grab it for her"

Kai gave him a grin. "Thanks mate, I'm sure she'll appreciate that."

Jason grinned back, before leaving the room with Jenny behind him.

After they left, Kai turned and walked back to his sleeping girlfriend. He stared at her sleeping figure, deep in thought.

"_She'll be asleep for a while. I should go grab a shower while I have the chance. Hopefully she'll stay this way until I'm done; the last thing is to see her in tears again." _

With that in mind, he grabbed some spare clothes and walked into the bathroom. He kept the door open, just in case she woke up and called out to him.

Nikki happened to wake up just after Kai had finished his shower. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. For a moment she forgot where she was, and wondered if she was still on the Eternal. Then she remembered everything in a flash; standing at the park, seeing Kai, hugging and kissing him. Her eyes widened.

"_Was it all a dream? Was…was he really dead?"_

She shook her head, not wanting to believe that none of it was real. Desperately she cried out Kai's name.

Kai, who was in the middle of getting dressed, heard her yell out to him. Dressed only in pants, he rushed out of the bathroom to see Nikki sitting up in bed hugging her self, tears once again pouring down her face. He hurried over to her and gathered her into his arms. He rocked her back and forth, whispering softly in her ear.

"Ssshh, it's alright, I'm here. Nikki, calm down its ok, I'm right here."

As soon as she felt his arms around her, she buried herself into his chest, crying uncontrollably. She didn't know why she was acting this way, but if Kai wasn't with her she would panic. The fear of losing him forever was still inside her heart.

She finally calmed down after a few minutes, the whole time Kai holding her close and whispering words of comfort in her ear. When he heard she had stopped crying, he pulled back and gently lifted her chin to look at him. He could see her eyes begging him to stay; they shone brightly at him making him internally melt at how gorgeous he thought she was.

Kai smiled at her "It's alright, Nikki I was just in the bathroom taking a shower"

Nikki looked down and suddenly realized he was only half-dressed. She blushed slightly at the sight of his bare chest, and looked shyly back at him.

"I'm sorry…I overreacted. When I woke up and saw you weren't there, I…I assumed the worst and thought that everything that had happened before was a dream…"

Kai smiled reassuringly at her "No it certainly wasn't a dream. You fell asleep on the way here."

Nikki's eyes suddenly went wide "Jason and Jenny! Where are they?"

She pulled away from Kai's arms and hurried out of the bed. Her boyfriend sat there watching her in amusement, when she stopped and turned to stare at him.

"Wait…my bag; I left it at the park…"

Kai chuckled before standing up and walking over to her, "It's alright, Jason and Jenny went out to get that for you"

She raised her eyebrows in surprise "Who volunteered to do that?"

Her boyfriend laughed, "Believe it or not, Jason did"

She crossed her arms "I hardly believe that"

Kai shrugged "You can talk to him about it when they get back"

Nikki walked forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, breathing his scent in.

"My gosh you smell good, what do you use on yourself in the shower?"

Kai grinned, using the opportunity to tease her. "It's a great thing they call "soap", shaped like a brick, and has nice fragrance. Pretty handy actually"

Nikki lifted her head and playfully glared at him. "Alright then, smartass"

This just caused her boyfriend to laugh, making her step away from him. She crossed her arms and pouted.

"You're so meaaann!"

He just shot her a lopsided smirk, finding her expression adorable. He walked forward and gently ran his thumb along her bottom lip.

"And just what are you going to do about it, Miss Clyne?"

The small gesture made Nikki weak in the knees. Sometimes she hated that Kai could make her melt like this, but at the same time she couldn't get enough of it. Not being able to resist any longer, she reached up and kissed him. Kai wasted no time, as he wrapped his arms around her and returned the gesture, deepening the kiss even more. Nikki wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her, pressing their mouths further into each other.

There were so engrossed with each other that they didn't notice Jason and Jenny walk in with Nikki's luggage. When they spotted the kissing couple, their eyes went wide and their jaws dropped. Jason thought about whether he should interrupt them or not, but decided that it would be better if he let them be. Last time he walked in on Nikki and Kai, he had relentlessly teased them. He flinched remembering the beating Nikki had inflicted on him.

Carefully he placed her bag down near the bed, before ushering Jenny out of the room. They gently closed the door, leaving the two lovers alone.

Nikki and Kai never noticed the other couple walk in, but they broke apart upon hearing the door close and turned to see who was there. Seeing no one, Nikki turned back around and gave a quizzical look at her boyfriend while he just shrugged. She spotted something at the corner of her eye and turned to see her bag near the end of the bed. She walked over and stared at it.

"That's strange."

Kai scratched his head nervously as a possibility come into his mind,

"Do you think Jason and Jenny walked in on us?"

Nikki looked at him "Maybe, but that's what I find weird, Jason usually interrupts us with never ending teasing." She snorted, "Maybe he remembered what I did to him last time he had the nerve to do that."

Kai grinned at the memory. Nikki was tougher than she looked, most probably something to do with the fact that she was a coordinator. But even then she had given Jason some pretty nasty bruises, and he was meant to be a coordinator himself.

He was broken out of his thoughts when Nikki sat down on the bed. She turned and looked at him, suddenly looking tired.

"I'm going to sack out properly this time…what _is _the time anyway?"

Kai looked at his watch "Late" He bluntly replied.

Nikki rolled her eyes "I figured, a specific time would be nice though."

Kai gave her a cheeky grin "Well alright, its almost 11"

Hearing that seemed to make her all the more exhausted and she let out a big yawn. She removed her shirt and jeans before lying down and making herself comfortable under the covers. Looking up, she saw Kai standing in the middle of the room staring at her. Giving him a smile she pulled back the covers and pointed to the space next to her.

"Get in, it's cold."

Grinning at his girlfriend's obvious order, he made his way over to the bed before lying down on his back next to her. As soon as he lay down, she snuggled up next to him, stretching her arm across his stomach. Kai brought his hand up to meet hers and intertwined their fingers, resting them on his stomach. He wrapped his other arm around her, bringing her close to him. Nikki sighed contently, falling asleep in her boyfriends' arms, with her head resting on his shoulder.

Kai watched as she fell asleep, he brought his free arm up and ran his hand gently down her arm. Leaning his head on hers, he fell into his own slumber holding his beloved girlfriend close, the two lovers dreaming of the other.

End of Chapter

_**Jenny: Aaaww what a adorable ending!**_

_**Jason: Those two are so typical and mushy**_

_**Jenny: Now, now Jason you know we have our moments too (winks)**_

_**Jason Well…I…(blushes)**_

_**Nikki: (sniggers) Wow rendered speechless, never thought I'd see the day.**_

_**Jason: (glares) Like you're any better around pretty boy over there**_

_**Kai: Wait what?**_

_**(Walks in) Hey guys**_

_**Jenny: Hey! How're you feeling?**_

_**Fine…why?**_

_**Nikki: Please you're as transparent as glass…you are NOT fine.**_

_**I'd rather not talk about it**_

_**Jason: Having guy problems are you?**_

…_**.**_

_**Kai: Guys leave her alone; also we need to introduce the next chapter.**_

_**(Smiles) Cheers Kai**_

_**Kai: No worries, now… to all you readers out there! This is what's coming up next in chapter seven!**_

_**Jenny: SEE YOU NEXT TIME!**_

"_Why? Was it so hard to let us know? You keep this big secret to yourselves, but you tell my sister?"_

_Kai stood up, "But we had to! It was the only way to bring the Eternal to Orb!"_

_Nikki glared at him. "Why couldn't Cagalli do that then?" _

_He stepped closer to her. "She didn't have any other reason, so she figured if Lacus knew that we were alive, then she'd want to come down." _

_Nikki shook her head. "But…why did Lacus keep it from me then?" _

_Kai sighed sadly. "Because I asked her not to…"_

_She stared at him, hardly believing what she had just heard. _

"_But…why? I was so lost and hurt without you…why would you keep such a thing from me?" _


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Secrets RevealedGOOD MORNING EVERYONE!

_**Jenny: Morning!**_

_**Jason: Wow she's in a better mood, what's with the sudden change?**_

_**Nikki: Her best friend is coming over today…**_

_**Jason: …is that all?**_

_**(Loud crash) YEEHAAWWW! IN YOUR FACE!**_

_**Kai: What is she doing? Destroying the house?**_

_**Nikki: She's a bit… hyper…**_

_**Jason: A BIT? Need a tranquilliser to stop her.**_

_**(Bounces into the room) Might fine day isn't it people!**_

_**Nikki: (backs away) um…yeah…**_

_**Kai: Hey why don't you calm down and start the story?**_

_**OOHH STORY! PLEASE ENJOY EVERYONE!**_

_**Everyone else: …**_

The next morning came quickly for Nikki. She felt better after finally having a good nights rest. Opening her eyes, she saw Kai still sleeping next to her. Not in any rush to go anywhere, she took the time to gaze at him. He was turned towards her, their faces inches apart. His mouth was slightly open, letting out deep low breathes. She smiled at how peaceful he looked in his sleep. She placed her hand on his face, gently caressing his cheek. Nikki couldn't describe just how much she loved him. When she watched the ship explode, her heart had torn into pieces, and she felt that she would never be able to recover. But seeing him alive, she felt happier than she had in a long time. Now here he was, sleeping beside her with his arms around her, making her feel safe and protected. She leaned forward, closing the gap between them, kissing him gently. She felt him kiss her back, and pulled away to see him smiling sleepily at her.

"Good morning" he replied sleepily

She smiled at him "Good morning to you too."

He used a hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes, a gesture Nikki found adorable.

"How long have you been awake?" He asked her, still wiping his eyes.

"A few minutes" She replied.

He looked at her. "Then why are you more awake than I am?"

She giggled at him "Because I've been checking you out"

Kai's jaw dropped at her answer, making her giggle even more. Without warning, he playfully dug his fingers into her ribs, making her shriek loudly.

"Hey! That's not fair!"

He grinned "Sure it is, you took advantage of me while I was sleeping!"

In response she grabbed a pillow and whacked it across his face. He gawked at her, not believing what she had just done.

"Oh you've done it now!"

Nikki quickly leapt out of the way before he could grab her. She jumped off the bed, and backed away with her pillow ready. Kai stood up with his own pillow, and the two playfully glared at each other trying to anticipate who would make the first move. They both charged in at once, swinging their pillows at the same time. They collided together, landing on the floor with Nikki lying on top of Kai. She shot him a victorious grin, while he dropped his pillow and put his hands up.

"Alright, I give up, you win."

She rose an eyebrow at him "Are you surrendering because I actually won? Or because I'm your girlfriend?"

He gave her a sheepish grin. "Uh…both?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Sure whatever"

The door suddenly opened, and in walked Jason and Jenny. Nikki and Kai's heads shot up and they felt slightly embarrassed at being found in such a compromising position, plus the fact they were barely wearing anything.

Nikki gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Ahah…. hi guys!"

Jason raised an eyebrow at the two, while Jenny put a hand over her mouth to fight back a laugh. Nikki quickly sprung onto her feet, her facing turning red when she realized she was half naked. Grabbing some clothes she ran into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. Kai, who was still lying on the floor, smirked at his two friends before standing up. Not too bothered with the fact he was shirtless, he calmly walked over and put a shirt on before sitting down on the bed. He peered at the couple that just walked in.

"You know, you both have horrible timing. You always seem to walk in on us doing something intimate."

Jenny giggled before replying. "Well we heard Nikki scream earlier so we came over to see if everything was alright."

Kai gave a hearty laugh. "Everything's fine, I tickled her without warning. Just gave her a bit of a surprise that's all."

Jason looked at him, suddenly becoming interested. "I didn't know she was ticklish"

Kai stared back at him. "Normally she isn't, I managed to catch her off guard." He threw the two a smug smirk "Lets see you two pull that off"

Jason and Jenny rolled their eyes; Kai was able to bring out sides of Nikki people didn't even know existed. Being her boyfriend, he just had that effect on her. The bathroom door opened and Nikki walked out wearing fresh clothes, a small blush still lingering on her face. She suddenly stopped and stared at Jenny, who turned to her as well. Walking over, she wrapped her best friend into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Jen I haven't seen you properly yet. I'm so happy to see you."

Jenny just smiled and hugged her as well. "It's ok, Nikki. You had some catching up to do with Kai, I understand, but it's great to see you too."

They pulled back and the two girls shared happy smiles, before walking back to their boyfriends. Jenny sat next to Jason on the bed, while Nikki made herself comfortable on Kai's lap, who was sitting on a large armchair. Kai spoke, breaking the silence.

"Well I guess it's time we explained everything, we've put it off long enough."

The others nodded in agreement, and he spoke again.

"Well, after the warning from Kira and Lacus, we didn't waste any time."

Flashback

After the video ended, one of the crewmembers stood up and faced Kai and Jenny.

"Sir, we will hold off the assault for as long as we can, you two need to find a shuttle and get out of here"

Kai stared at him in disbelief. "We can't just leave you all behind!"

The man shook his head "Please there's no time, you two are the important ones. Enough wasting time, GO!"

Jenny placed a hand on Kai's shoulder. "Come on, we need to hurry."

Kai gave the crew one last look of respect, before following Jenny out of the bridge.

_As they hurried towards the shuttle, alarms were going off all around them. Kai looked at Jenny_

"_We have to hurry! This place is going to blow any minute!" He shouted over the noise._

_She nodded, indicating that she had heard him. Finally they reached the door, and the jumped inside. The shuttle was only big enough for a small group of people and it was placed under the ship. Kai rushed over to the controls, doing what he could to eject them as soon as he could. Jenny nervously looked out the window, watching the brutal gunfire above them. _

_She turned to him. "Hurry Kai!"_

_He growled in frustration. "Hang on! I'm almost there!"_

_Next moment, the shuttle shook as it ejected from the ship. Kai pushed a lever, and they sped downwards. Only a few seconds later, the shuttle was violently thrown forward by a huge explosion. Kai collided with the controls while Jenny hung on desperately to the sidewall. Fortunately the shuttle had maintained enough distance to not be damaged, but it was slightly dented from debris that had hit them. When the shaking finally ceased, Kai put the shuttle on autopilot and rushed over to where Jenny was staring in horror out the window. He looked out and saw the ship they were on had been completely destroyed. He bowed his head, thinking about the brave crew that had sacrificed their lives._

_He walked back over to the controls and collapsed in the chair, feeling exhausted and extremely guilty. Jenny looked over at him sadly. _

"_What about Nikki and Jason? They probably thought we were in there"_

_Kai stared back at her with the same sad expression. "I don't know, but this piece of junk won't let us communicate with them from here. We'll head to earth and get in touch with them from there. I'm sure Cagalli won't mind letting us call them."_

_He turned his attention back to the front. _

"_Get some rest, we'll be flying for a while." _

Flashback ends

"It only took us a day to arrive to Earth, the shuttle was fairly fast, despite the impact from the explosion. "

Kai finished explaining what had happened to him and Jenny the day of the battle.

Jason stared at his best friend. "So then why didn't you call us when you arrived here?"

Kai sighed, and nodded to Jenny. She picked up the bag she brought, and pulled out a laptop computer. She pulled it open, typed in a few words before turning it around and showing everyone. On the screen was a picture of a man, with short sandy brown hair and dark eyes; his name was unknown.

Nikki curiously leaned forward, "Wait, he seems familiar, can I see that?"

Jenny stood up and handed the laptop to her. Nikki scrolled down the profile page, a moment later her eyes widened in realization.

"This is impossible!" She looked up at Jenny. "How did you find this?"

Kai spoke from where he was looking over her shoulder. "Do you know this guy?"

She nodded "Yeah, I knew him back on the PLANTS years ago, I thought he had died along with everyone else!"

Jenny took the computer back and sat back down on the bed.

"Well, he obviously didn't…he's the reason we've had to stay quiet"

Nikki and Jason were shocked. "What?"

Jenny nodded. "We're not completely sure why yet or even if he has an ulterior motive, but he has some sort of rebellion going on. And at the moment, he's after Kai and myself."

Nikki's eyes widened at her words as she suddenly realized what was happening. Standing up, she silently walked over to the window. The others shared concerned glances, before Kai stood up and walked over to her. He put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed her arms.

"Hey…are you alright?" He asked her.

"It's me he's after" she replied, startling him.

Nikki turned and looked at them all. "He's coming after me"

Jenny stood up and looked at her. "Are you sure? What makes you think that?"

Nikki sighed before answering. "I met him a few times while I was dating Darren. He must be after me for revenge"

Jason spoke from where he was on the bed. "But why would he want revenge on you?"

Nikki smiled grimly at him "Don't you remember me telling you? I'm the one that killed Darren."

Kai came up and hugged her from behind. "They must've been pretty close friends if he wanted to get back at you for killing Darren."

Nikki leaned back into him, grateful for the comfort. "They were closer than friends."

Jason's eyes went wide. "Were they gay or something?"

Nikki glared at him. "No you idiot…. they were brothers"

The room went silent after that declaration. Jason then spoke, breaking the tense moment.

"But why are you guys hiding from just one guy? He's not _that_ scary is he?"

Nikki growled in frustration, suddenly feeling a headache forming.

"Didn't you hear Jenny earlier? She said he has a rebellion, which means he has his own army. He could've sent them here to…."

Nikki suddenly went quiet, and she put a hand over her mouth as her eyes widened in horror. Kai sensing the bad vibe from his girlfriend, looked down at her, concerned.

"Nikki? What's wrong?"

She turned her head to look at him, and he saw a mixture of sadness and anger on her face.

"It was him!"

She sent a murderous glare at the wall, slightly startling the others. Jenny stepped forward slightly.

"What do you mean it was him…what did he do?"

Nikki looked over at her best friend. "That fleet that I wiped out! That bloody army that destroyed your ship! That was all _his_ doing!"

Her hands clenched into fists as she tried to control her anger. Jason slightly backed away; he never liked it when she became this angry… it scared him. Jenny was staring wide-eyed at her best friend, having never seen her this enraged before. Kai however, placed his arms around her trying to calm her down. He decided to do the speaking for everyone.

"Nikki, calm down, relax, you're scaring Jason."

Ignoring the last remark, she turned to look at Kai. She grabbed onto his shirt and stared into his eyes.

"You don't understand Kai! He's trying to attack my weak points…you know what that means?" She buried her face into his chest as she continued yelling." It means he's going to keep trying to kill you and Jenny! And when he's done with that, he might go after Lacus, then Jason…. damn it, he's trying to kill everyone that I love!"

After her outburst, Nikki continued to cry and yell into Kai's shirt, letting all her frustration out. He just held her close, stroking her hair. The other two stared sadly at them, before Jenny stepped forward.

"Kai, you can explain the other thing to Nikki alone, I'll tell Jason in our room."

Kai nodded her "Alright, we'll see you later then."

Grabbing Jason's hand, Jenny left the room with him, once again leaving the older couple alone. Kai looked down, relieved to see that Nikki had stopped crying. Slowly she lifted her head and stared curiously at him.

"What was the other thing you needed to tell me?"

Sighing, he motioned to the bed. "Let's sit down"

They walked over and sat down, all the while with her staring intently at him. He turned to her.

"Try not to be too upset with what I'm about to tell you, alright?"

Nikki nodded, urging him to continue.

"Lacus and Kira knew"

She was slightly confused at first, but then her eyes widened as she realized what he was telling her. Standing up, she gave him a look of disbelief.

"How long... How long before we found out?"

He sighed, bracing himself for her possible outburst. "We contacted them the day after, so they knew for a few days"

Nikki couldn't believe this, it was too dangerous to contact them, but her called her sister? Turning around, she tried to hide how hurt she suddenly felt. She knew why they had kept the truth from her, but the thought that Lacus knew…she couldn't help but feel slightly betrayed. Turning back around, she confronted her boyfriend.

"Why? Was it so hard to let us know? You keep this big secret to yourselves, but you tell my sister?"

Kai stood up, "But we had to! It was the only way to bring the Eternal to Orb!"

Nikki glared at him. "Why couldn't Cagalli do that then?"

He stepped closer to her. "She didn't have any other reason, so she figured if Lacus knew that we were alive, then she'd want to come down."

Nikki shook her head. "But…why did Lacus keep it from me then?"

Kai sighed sadly. "Because I asked her not to…"

She stared at him, hardly believing what she had just heard.

"But…why? I was so lost and hurt without you…why would you keep such a thing from me?"

He reached and pulled her into a hug. "When we arrived in Orb, the first thing I wanted to do was to call you, and tell you I was ok. But when Cagalli had found out that we were being targeted, she forbid us to contact you in any way. All we could do is get in touch with Lacus and ask her to come to Orb. Even then we weren't able to talk very long."

While he explained, Nikki became slightly calmer, and just continued to let him talk.

"I was under direct orders not to do anything, I wasn't even allowed to go outside. Both myself and Jenny were kept inside and were always heavily guarded, and it stayed that way until you two arrived." Kai hugged her closer. "Each day…every hour that passed, I couldn't rid myself of the heavy guilt I was feeling. I could only imagine just what you were going through, thinking that I had been killed. Lacus briefly told me how you were, and all I wanted was to go to you and comfort you."

Nikki listened with sadness to her boyfriends' confession. He had wanted to call her, had wanted to be with her. But he had restrictions that were forced on him, all because some lunatic was out to get her. Suddenly feeling responsible, she reached up and hugged him.

"I'm sorry…"

Kai pulled back and stared at her "Why are _you_ apologizing?"

Nikki slightly bowed her head. "Because this is all my doing…this guy is after me because I killed his brother. And now we're in danger because of a stupid mistake I made in the past."

Kai shook his head "It wasn't a mistake, he tried to kill you first so you naturally defended yourself. You can't blame yourself for that."

She looked back up at him. "That doesn't matter…I still killed him, now his brother is trying to make me pay. If the outcome was different…we wouldn't be in this situation." She looked away to the side. "This is all my fault."

Kai gazed sadly at her. He didn't want her blaming herself; she wasn't at fault for someone who wasn't able to let go of a grudge. And he wanted her to know this.

"Nikki, look at me"

She turned back to stare at him. He placed a hand on her cheek.

"It's not your fault, you hear me? Don't blame yourself. This is happening because someone is unable to let go of the past and can't bring himself to remove the grudge he's holding." Kai gave her a gentle smile, while rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "You're a kind, loving and caring girl, Nikki. Don't let past actions or idiots like him tell you otherwise. You have a pure heart." He placed his hand on her chest, where her heart was. "It's because of this heart, that I fell in love with you."

Nikki felt the urge to cry again. He always knew what to say, how to make her feel better. And after his confession at the end, she couldn't help but fall in love with him even more.

With tears in her eyes, she reached up to hug him tightly. She felt him hug her back, and she whispered to him. "I love you."

He smiled and whispered back to her "I love you too."

They stayed in that position for a while, enjoying the peace they could have. They knew it would only be a matter of time before they would have to face the danger that was after them, so they wanted to use the opportunity to spend as much time as they could with each other.

End of Chapter

_**AAWWWW happy sweet mushy ending! (flaps arms and runs about)**_

_**Nikki: Has she forgotten she's the one that wrote all this?**_

_**Kai: Have you never seen her hyper before?**_

_**Nikki: Not to this level, it's rather…**_

_**YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! (Crash)**_

_**Nikki: (flinches) frightening.**_

_**Kai: What was that?**_

_**Nikki: I think she just broke something in the kitchen, we need to get her out before she sets something on fire.**_

_**Kai: Well why we calm our author down…heres the preview of the next chapter!**_

_**Nikki: HEY PUT THE MICROWAVE DOWN!**_

_Leaning forward she planted a kiss on his lips. But just as she was about to pull away, he held her in place not wanting to let go just yet. They were quickly lost in their own world as they clung to each other, their mouths moulding together. Being bold, Nikki ran her tongue along his bottom lip. He instantly opened his mouth for her and their tongues met in a heated battle. The lovers groaned, their hormones rising. They couldn't feel close enough as both their bodies and mouths meshed further and further into each other._


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Quiet times**

_**MEOW! Good afternoon my fellow kitties!**_

_**Jason: What in the hell is up with her?**_

_**Nikki: -sighs- She saw a movie that had a lot of cats in it.**_

_**Jenny: -giggles- I think it's kinda cute!**_

_**Nikki: I think it's bloody annoying!**_

_**(jumps in front of Nikki's face) Meow! **_

_**Nikki: GAAHHH!**_

_**Kai: …as if she wasn't hyper enough before…**_

_**(Makes purring noises)**_

_**Nikki: -rubs temples- somebody just start the damn chapter already.**_

_**MEOW MEOW! Enjoy! MEOW!**_

_**Jason: … bloody hell…**_

It had been a week since Nikki and Jason had arrived in Orb. They knew it would only be a matter of time before they would have to fight again, so they used whatever free time they had to enjoy the peace, however long it lasted.

Nikki wanted to spend as much time as she could with Kai. Once the fighting started up again, she knew they might not be able see each other as much.

That was why; they were at that moment sitting together on a blanket out in the park that held many memories for the two. They brought a big enough blanket for just the two of them, and also a basket with a small portion of food.

Kai was sitting with his back against the tree, Nikki sitting in between his legs and resting against his chest. He had his arms loosely wrapped around her. Not much was said between the two, they mostly just relaxed and enjoyed the quiet sincerity of the park.

Nikki stared up at the sky, a content smile on her face. She found it hard to think that just over a week ago she was thinking about putting a bullet into her head because of how depressed she was. But now that was the furthest thing from her mind. The man she loved had his arms around her and she felt happier than anything. But her thoughts suddenly turned around when she remembered what was coming up. Despite what Kai told her, she still felt responsible for everything that had happened, that it was her doing that caused her friends to be attacked by this man. She wasn't entirely close to him; for goodness sake she couldn't even remember the guys name! But she knew that him and Darren were close brothers and strangely she understood the pain and anger he was feeling. She had felt the exact same way when she thought she had lost Kai, it was a feeling she never wanted to experience again.

But she needed to focus on what was happening now. Through much research and computer hacking, she discovered that this man was planning a huge invasion on ORB, most likely to come after her, so she planned to take her own army to the front lines and face him. She couldn't take the chance of losing anyone else that she cared about.

Kai on the other hand, was watching the girl he had his arms around. She was staring vacantly at the sky, obviously with a lot on her mind. She looked happy for a while but her face suddenly turned sad and he wondered what his girlfriend was thinking. He lifted his hand and gently brushed it against her cheek. Nikki snapped out of her thoughts when she felt Kai's hand on the side of her face; she curiously turned to look at him.

He smiled at her "You ok?"

She smiled back "Of course I am, why are you asking?

He gazed at her "Well you looked sad for a minute"

She sighed before turning around to full face him. "I…I guess I'm just a little nervous…about the battle that's coming up."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Why would you be nervous? You're one of the best and most respected mobile suit pilots in the PLANTS."

Nikki shook her head. "It's not that…I just wonder what will happen when I face him, considering I was somewhat acquainted with him"

Her boyfriend gave her an encouraging smile. "None of us really know, but I have faith in you Nikki, we all do. And I'm positive that you'll end all this the right way." He pulled her closer and gazed into her eyes. "But no matter what, you know I'll be always be there to give you strength."

Nikki stared intently at him while he spoke, never breaking her own gaze from him. She saw the sincerity and love in his eyes and knew she would never doubt him.

Leaning forward, she tucked herself under his chin and wrapped her arms around him. Kai gently wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back.

"OY! There you two are! We've been looking all over for you two!"

Nikki groaned, annoyed that their moment was interrupted. She turned her head to see Jason and Jenny walking towards them. Jason grinned at her while she just glared back.

"Hey there sis! What's up?" The frisky blonde exclaimed as he plopped down next to the older couple.

This just caused Nikki to growl at him. "What do you think you idiot? Usually when you see a couple spending time together it's usually wise to LEAVE THEM ALONE! And don't call me that, I'm not your sister!"

Kai grabbed her waist before she could conflict damage onto his best friend, giving Jason the chance to scutter away from her. "Nikki calm down, they've been looking for us for a while."

This didn't do anything to cool her temper, although she didn't struggle from his grasp. "Well they better have a damn good reason!"

Jenny, who was surprisingly calm, took the initiative. Unlike her boyfriend, who was using her as a shield from the angry brunette. "It's time to start heading back, preparations have started and Cagalli wants to have a private word." She rolled her eyes. "She made it an official order in case we tried to refuse"

Nikki deflated. "She doesn't give us much time out does she?"

Jenny shifted nervously. "Well, actually she only wants to see you Nikki…"

Nikki stared at her best friend. "Why just me?"

The redhead shrugged. "She didn't say, but I wasn't about to argue against an obvious order."

Nikki sighed before standing up. "Guess I better start making my way over.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Kai asked from where he was sitting.

She smiled at him. "As much as I'd love that, it's best if I go alone, Cagalli's made it clear that she only wants to see me. Besides you still have some time to relax, you should take advantage of that."

He stood up and pouted at her. "Yeah but it'll be boring without you."

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, causing him to place his hands on her waist. "I'll try not to be too long; we don't go out to fight for another week or so. So I'll make it up to you ok?"

He grinned at her "Sounds like a fair deal to me"

A smirk appeared on her face. "I'd like to seal that deal if it's alright with you."

Leaning forward she planted a kiss on his lips. But just as she was about to pull away, he held her in place not wanting to let go just yet. They were quickly lost in their own world as they clung to each other, their mouths moulding together. Being bold, Nikki ran her tongue along his bottom lip. He instantly opened his mouth for her and their tongues met in a heated battle. The lovers groaned, their hormones rising. They couldn't feel close enough as both their bodies and mouths meshed further and further into each other.

Meanwhile, the other couple were watching them with wide eyes. Jenny couldn't help a blush from spreading across her face."

"My gosh, do they even realize we're watching?"

Jason snorted. "You know what they're like, one look into the others eyes and the rest of the bloody world doesn't even exist."

She giggled. "Aw but you know these two; they can't stand to spend anytime away from each other."

He rolled his eyes. "Well we can't have Cagalli waiting, I don't want to be at the receiving end of her wrath SO WHEN YOU TWO ARE QUITE FINISHED!

His loud statement caused Nikki and Kai to break apart slowly. But although the moment was over, they continued to keep their gaze on each other. Both were out of breath from the heated kiss.

"I'll be back…" she whispered

"I'll be waiting for you." He told her in the same soft tone.

Giving him one last brush of the lips, she turned and walked off. Once she was out of sight, Kai sat down again, a dreamy smile across his face. A loud cough broke him out of his trance, and he turned to his two friends staring at him with raised eyebrows.

He grinned. "Oh yeah…forgot you two were here"

Jason huffed at him. "Enjoy yourself did you?"

Kai laughed. "You know very well that I did, and besides it's not like you don't have those kinds of moments with Jenny here.

The said redhead blushed. "Well that's true but it's usually something we do in private…

Jason nodded in agreement. "You see? You don't just go making out in front of people! It's weird!

Kai just sniggered at him. "When you're in love, you tend not to care whose watching. You two should know this very well." He laughed harder when their faces turned bright crimson.

Once her face returned to normal Jenny turned to him. "So what're we going to do while we wait for her?"

Jason shrugged. "We could always hide and make her think we left her." The blonde grinned, thinking about a confused looking Nikki searching the whole park.

Kai shook his head. "Mate, she's not stupid. She'll know very well where we would be" He stared intently at his best friend. "And whose idea it was, and you don't want her angry at you again do you?"

Jason shook his head rapidly. "Ok, ok it was a bad idea. So what do we do then?

Jenny waved her hand enthusiastically. "Why don't we play a game or something!"

Her boyfriend looked at her and screwed his face. "What are we? A bunch of ten year olds?"

She glared at him "Well we have to do something until Nikki gets back! We don't know how long she'll be!"

He playfully glared back at her. "Well I ain't playing any sissy game.

Kai watched the playful banter in amusement. He would never get tired it. Letting out a sigh, he lay down on his back. He was happy to just lie there until his girlfriend returned. She told him she would come back straight after. And no matter how long it took he would wait for her, because that is what he promised her.

Nikki on the other hand, had reached the building and she was striding quickly down the hall towards Cagalli's office. She wanted to just get this over and done with. The sooner the meeting was finished, the sooner she could go back to her friends. Goodness knows she wanted as much freedom she could get her hands on before the fighting began.

Reaching the door, she reached up and hastily knocked on it. She was surprised to hear Lacus's voice. "Come in"

She opened the door to see her sister leaning on the desk. She looked around to find no one else. Feeling confused she looked at Lacus. "What're you doing here? I thought it was Cagalli that wanted to see me."

Lacus smiled at her. "She does but I wanted a quick word first"

Nikki raised an impatient eyebrow. "Well what is it then?"

Lacus shifted nervously for a moment. "Well…I wanted to talk about when I…kept the truth from you…"

Nikki sighed. This wasn't something she was particularly in the mood to talk about; sure she was annoyed at Lacus for not telling her. But she couldn't hold a grudge against her sister for something that was long past. She promised herself that she would not get angry.

She looked back up at Lacus. "It's alright Lacus…there's nothing to talk about. I know Kai's alive now it's fine…"

Lacus shook her head. "No it's not fine! You were suffering! And I had the one thing that could've stopped it! But I didn't, I just idly sat by while you cried your heart out every night!

By this time she had tears threatening to fall. Nikki gazed sadly at her sister, the slight grudge that she knew she held for Lacus evaporating fast. She, herself, may have been going through a hard time, but she had no idea just how torn apart Lacus had felt not being able to say anything. She was broken out of her thoughts when Lacus continued talking.

"But…I couldn't say anything, Cagalli didn't want me to. Kai even told me not to which surprised me…but we all had the same motive for doing it. We just wanted to protect you from this man that's after you; we knew that if he thought he had succeeded then he wouldn't hurt you. But you were hurting enough as it was!

Lacus collapsed onto her knees, her shoulders shaking. Nikki walked over to her, and then bent down to her level. Pulling her into a gentle hug, she spoke softly to her younger sister.

"Look Lacus…I know it was for a good cause. But however painful it was, it wasn't your idea to keep the secret from me. So, although I was hurting for a while, it didn't last. Because I found out that he was alive, and you all knew I would eventually come to know that. So you don't have to worry, I'm not angry anymore. In fact, I'm happier than I have been my entire life."

Lacus pulled away slightly and looked up at Nikki. She was smiling at her, warmth gazing out from her blue orbs. It was completely different from the way she was back on the Eternal; back then she was blank and looked as if she didn't care about anything. But now her big sister was back to her normal caring self, and she knew that it was thanks to Kai who made it possible.

She smiled back. "Thanks Nikki… hearing that from you makes me feel better."

Nikki placed a hand on her head. "I'd do anything for my sis, you know that."

And it was the truth, more than Lacus knew. Nikki was prepared to go to all lengths for her sister. Lacus was the only family she had left, and she would do anything to protect her. It was at that moment, that the bond between the two sisters became stronger.

Suddenly, the door flew open revealing a worn out and very breathless Cagalli. Nikki stood up to face the Representative, staring at her obvious exhaustion in bemusement.

She smiled. "Representative, well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. Are you alright?"

The teasing tone did not amuse Cagalli. "Watch your tone; you have no idea what I've just been through."

Nikki raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And pray tell what you've been through, have you been running?"

Cagalli stomped past her, her mood becoming worse with Nikki's sarcasm. Slumping in her chair, she glared at the brunette across from her. "It's none of your business, and don't speak to me like that I outrank you, _Clyne_."

Nikki smirked and folded her arms. "Not necessarily, _Attha. _The only two people that outrank me are Lacus and Kira. I strictly command and follow the rules and regulations of the Zaft Nation only." She leaned forward and leered at Cagalli. "And even though they are my commanding officers, I still flow my own way. You are talking to a ex-leader of a rebellion group so I suggest it'd be wise that you don't provoke me…you really don't want to see what I'm like when I'm pissed off." She leaned back, seemingly satisfied with her end of the argument. "So therefore, seeing as how I'm practically my own boss, I don't need someone such as you ordering me around. Especially since there will be times on the battlefield where I will be the one outranking you in the ways of combat."

Cagalli couldn't find a way to counter, because she knew it to be true. She wasn't as skilled in the cockpit of a Gundam as Nikki, so if they were to be ever fighting together she'd automatically be put under Nikki's command.

Lacus stood nervously as her sister and best friend glared daggers at each other. She wasn't sure why Nikki was like this towards Cagalli, but she guessed it might've been something to do with the order that was carried out to hide the fact that Nikki's best friend and boyfriend were still alive.

Nikki broke the silence. "Anyway, I didn't come all this way just to argue. You wanted to see me Cagalli and considering the fact I was informed it was urgent, I made my way over immediately." She sat in the chair across from the Representative, never breaking her intense stare with the blonde. "So what is it you wanted to discuss with me?"

Cagalli leaned forward. "I was informed that there was a sighting of the man that's apparently after you and your friends."

Nikki leaned forward; this was news to her. "And where was this sighting exactly?"

Cagalli approached her answer cautiously. "Apparently only a few several miles from our borders, it turns out that he is making his way here sooner than we anticipated."

Nikki stared with wide eyes. He wasn't supposed to be coming this early! They had been keeping careful tabs on him for the last week and according to their records, he was meant to be half a world away. How the hell did he get so close to ORB without them noticing?

Nikki clenched her fist. "That damn bastard, I underestimated him." She turned to Cagalli "How long until he reaches here?"

"Two days, maybe sooner." She replied

Nikki slumped in her seat in shock. She wasn't ready to face him yet, and she only had up to 2 days to prepare herself. She knew that her friends and comrades would be fighting besides her but when it came down to it, she would be clashing blades with this guy herself…this was her fight.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, she stood up. "Thank you for informing me Cagalli, I will start preparations immediately. I will have someone notify you when I am ready." Without another word she turned and strode out of the office.

Out in the park, Nikki's friends were oblivious to the warnings and dangers that were upon them. As far as they knew, they still had a long while before anything was to happen.

Kai was still on his back, his eyes closed, feeling relaxed. Near him, Jason and Jenny were snuggled together sharing whispered conversations and small kisses in between. He blocked them out, not wanting to eavesdrop. Instead he refocused his mind on Nikki. It had been almost an hour since she had left and already he was eager to hold her in his arms again. Just as that thought crossed his mind, he heard someone running their direction. He turned to see Nikki sprinting across the park. At first he thought she was just anxious to be back, but that changed when he saw how stressed she looked. He lifted himself to his feet, worried about what could be wrong.

She screeched to a halt in front of him, immediately bending down to catch her breath. Kai stared bemusedly at her, wondering just how far she ran.

After calming down, she straightened and looked at him. "We have to get going right now!" She walked around and started pushing him. "Come on! We have very limited time! We have to start preparations right now!"

Kai turned around and caught her arms. "Nikki, calm down. What do you mean we have limited time? What's going on?"

She started to get slightly frantic. "Cagalli said there was a sighting of him a little way away! He's going to be here in a matter of days! I have to recruit soldiers! I need to get an army together! I-

She was interrupted when Kai placed a finger on her lips. "Ok, ok first of all you need to breathe when speaking for that long." She glared at him "Second, you can't just run around and prepare everything in the panicked state you're in. So we're all going to go back to our rooms, sit down and discuss what we're going to do ok? Then once we've decided we can start working on those plans of yours. We'll recruit soldiers, organise a fleet for your command and also we'll need to make sure to go over everything with the Representative and the Chairwoman so they're aware of our schedule…alright?"

Nikki gawked at him; she had no idea that he could rationalize so well. Oh well just another good reason why she loved him so much.

She smirked at him. "Well since you have it all worked out, what are we waiting for?"

"Hey! What secrecy is going on between you two now?"

Jason and Jenny, damn it, she had forgotten about them. She turned to her two friends with a sheepish smile. "Hey guys"

Jason peered at her. "Don't 'hey guys' us, what's going on?"

Nikki turned serious. "Cagalli informed me that "he" was sighted. He's a lot closer to ORB than we anticipated, we don't have much time."

Jenny looked concerned. "How long do we have?"

Nikki sighed. "A couple of days at the most"

Jenny and Jason stared at her in horror. "WHAT?"

She nodded. "I know, so that's why we need to head back and start organising everything."

When they all nodded, she grabbed Kai's hand. "Let's go, maybe if we finish all the preparations fast enough we can have _some_ free time before we head out. But even then we must always stay alert."

The four hurried back to headquarters in silence. The streets were filled with people scurrying past them; unaware of just how close danger was to arriving. Nikki wondered if they should warn them of the gunfire that was about to take place, or maybe even evacuate the city. Either way she wanted the citizens out of harms way, she wouldn't be able forgive herself if innocent blood was spilt. So she would do whatever she could to protect these people and the city of ORB at all costs.

They rushed into the large building (Kai held the door open), and made their way to Jason and Jenny's room. Once they were all inside, Nikki closed the door and locked it to avoid any interruptions.

The two couples sat down, each with their significant other. The room was silent for a moment before Nikki spoke. "Since this is on short notice, I'm hoping you guys each have some sort of idea about how we can bring up a force big enough to be ready in two days.

Jason lifted his hand. "I have an idea, but I don't know if any of you will like it."

Nikki shook her head. "Doesn't matter, anything is appreciated."

Jason hesitated before speaking, "We split up, gather and prepare our own forces and then join up into one army when he invades.

Nikki took that into thought, he was right she didn't like the idea of separation. But if it meant gaining a large army then she may as well take that into perspective. It could give them an advantage if they had the numbers of their side.

She stared at her friends. "Ok, that's a good way to start. We'll hold onto that, unless anyone else has some other strategy.

Jenny spoke from her spot. "Must we separate four ways? I mean I know it could give us more numbers but the thought of us splitting up…I can't seem to settle on the idea. Why don't we go in pairs but still bring in soldiers for each? That way we don't have to do our jobs alone.

Nikki nodded at her. "I like that idea, ok Jason and Jenny you're ideas will be meshed together. We will separate, but we'll do it in pairs for support and safety as well."

She turned to her boyfriend sitting next to her. "Kai? Do you have any ideas?"

Kai was silent for a moment with his head bowed. After a minute of silence from him he looked up. "Let's fool and surprise them."

Nikki raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you want to elaborate on that?"

He stared at his hands, speaking carefully about his plan. "When they arrive in ORB, we'll make them think they have us by surprise. We'll evacuate the citizens so to make it look abandoned, when they see how empty it all is they'll automatically think that they can take the place for themselves…. well at least I hope." He paused. "Then when they're too comfortable with that fact, we will jump out of hiding spots that we can assign to each unit. This way we can catch them off guard and gain ourselves 'another' advantage in the offensive."

He looked at the others to see their reaction towards his strategy. Jason and Jenny were gawking at him, amazed that he was capable of thinking up a strategy like that. Nikki, on the other hand, had this smart talk come from her boyfriend earlier so she wasn't too surprised. She was beaming brightly at him, seemingly rather impressed with his plan.

"That's excellent Kai! The only flaw is whether or not he would fall for it; it may look suspicious seeing the city empty. But if he thinks like a usual arrogant terrorist then they'll be playing right into our hands."

Kai turned towards her. "What about you Nikki? Do you have one final idea that can add to all of ours?"

Nikki smiled. "I do, but this is just to be precautious. Kai, you mentioned separate units' right?" He nodded. "Well we're going to include some extra troops to make up for a backup unit. It'll need to be a fairly large one because this is only if things start looking bad for us. So if it _does_ start to get bad, this unit will be our reinforcement. Fair enough?" They all nodded, happy with Nikki's final plan.

She then stood up. "Alright, well then how are we going to pair off then?

"I think we should just stick with our boyfriend's Nikki." Suggested Jenny. "I mean not only would each pair have a skilled coordinator I don't think you'd want to separate from Kai anyway…am I right?

The slight blush on Nikki's face indicated that she had hit the nail on the head, causing her to smirk.

Nikki glared at her best friend. "Fine then, you go with Jason and I'll go with Kai. You two guys agree with this?"

The two boys glanced at each other before swinging their arms around their girlfriends.

"Of course we do" The guys said with smirks, making the two girls blush.

Nikki stood up. "I'll go with Kai to tell Lacus and Cagalli our plans. You two can start straight away on gathering our forces.

Jason stepped forward. "Where should we meet, we'll need those last moments to put things together. That way it's fresh in our mind on the battlefield."

She nodded. "Good idea Jason, but we'll have to figure that out later…here take these. She dug into her bag and pulled out four earpieces and four contraptions that looked like bracelets. "The earpieces are obvious, but these…" She held up the bracelets. "The remote controls you can attach to your wrist, all you simply do is press the blue button and your voice will be transmitted into our pieces. All of them are connected by limitless distance network. So no matter how far we all are from each other it won't matter; we can still keep in contact. But only use them if it's an emergency."

Jason grinned while attaching the remote to his wrist. "These are sweet Nikki! Where did you find them?"

Nikki shrugged. "I made and customized them."

Jason's eye went wide, but before he could say anything Jenny spoke. "Alright, we'll get going." She smiled. "We'll see you later then ey?"

Nikki nodded and smiled back. "Yes, good luck with everything."

End of Chapter

_**WOOHOO! Let the games begin! BUAHAHAHAHA!**_

_**Jason: What happened to kitty mood?**_

_**Nikki: I don't know, she switches personalities so fast it makes my head spin.**_

_**Jenny: (still giggling) She makes me laugh when she's like this.**_

_**Kai: She almost destroyed the house last time…we need to keep her in check.**_

_**WHO'S DESTROYING MY HOUSE! (nostrils flare)**_

_**Everyone: …**_

_**Jason: I vote we knock her out or something.**_

_**Nikki: We need someone who can control her.**_

_**Kai: We're her OC's, you'd think we'd be able to.**_

_**Nikki: She's our creator! She has control over US!**_

_**AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT SLAVES!**_

_**Jenny: Maybe we should preview the next chapter…**_

_**Jason: Yeah, before she explodes.**_

_**YOU CANNOT DESTROY ME FOOL! I AM INDESTRUCTABLE!**_

_**Nikki…um here's the next preview.**_

_**Kai: Jason put the frypan down.**_

_She smiled knowingly. "There's a couple of people I know that may be able to help us, one is an old friend of mine. The other…well he's a little hard to get a hold of but he may give us some assistance if he hears ORB is being invaded."_

_Kai raised an eyebrow. "Who are they?"_

_She turned to him. "The first is a expert mechanic. She knows everything there is to do with customisation, installation, building and just all around everything."_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – Final Plans**

**Well hello and welcome back! I hope everyone had a nice Christmas over the weekend! I know I sure did!**

_**Nikki – Only because it's your birthday on Christmas too…**_

_**Tsk… so not true! Sure I got a fair amount of presents, but that's not the most important thing!**_

_**Nikki – Whatever**_

_**Well what did you get for Christmas Nikki?**_

_**Nikki – Got a few things…from Kai mainly**_

_**Oooooh what'd he get you?**_

_**Nikki – None of your business**_

_**Sheesh touchy much…wait…where are the other three?**_

_**Nikki – Kai and Jenny have to both look after Jason, he ate too much at our Christmas party so he's been uncontrollably sick for the last couple of days.**_

_**Yeek and you need both of them? Must be a pretty bad case**_

_**Nikki – It's disgusting, he's throwing up everywhere and…!**_

_**Eeeww do NOT need details! Why don't we move onto the story instead! I'm overdue for updating!**_

_**Nikki – Whatever**_

_**Enjoy the chapter everyone! And MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!**_

Nikki and Kai made their way to the Representative's office to inform her of their plans. What they hoped was to gain her full support to the point where even she would be willing to contribute a few soldiers to help out. The same goal was directed towards Lacus as well.

They heard a "Come in" after knocking. Entering the room they were fortunate to find both Cagalli and Lacus engaged in a deep conversation, they could kill two birds with one stone with having both the head of nations in one place.

They turned to them, and straightened when they saw who it was.

Lacus smiled. "Nikki! Kai! It's nice to see the two of you, how may we help you?"

Kai glanced at Nikki, obviously wanting her to do the talking. She sighed before stepping forward.

"We have a plan for when the rebellion invades."

Cagalli raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Already? It hasn't been too long since I informed you about the sighting, Nikki."

Nikki smiled slightly. "I know, but we didn't want to waste anytime so we immediately formed a meeting to discuss several strategies."

Lacus leaned forward slightly. "And what are your plans?"

The older couple glanced at each other briefly before Kai spoke. "We don't have any completely strong strategies yet, but we have a few small ones that will help us gain an advantage."

Nikki and Kai continued to explain their ideas, Lacus and Cagalli occasionally giving strategies of their own. But Cagalli brought up a flaw that had been gnawing on Nikki's mind.

"What about all the citizens? There are over a million people living in this country, how do you expect to evacuate such a large number in only two days?"

Nikki thought for a moment. "We'll have to focus on them first, we'll use any means of transport to get them all out. I have several large water vessels that can fit a few several hundred people on them. And we can organise some shuttles to take another large portion to space. I'll need someone to keep this drill going while we're forging our armies. For those who don't get out in time, we'll have to find bunkers for them to hide out in until the fighting is over."

Cagalli leaned forward. "And you're certain that you'll win this battle? What will happen to these people if you don't?"

"Don't worry, I have every intention of winning." Nikki stated with determination.

Kai then stepped forward. "We'd also like to ask another favour if you don't mind."

Lacus tilted her head and stared at him. "What might that be?"

He spoke again, his voice firm. "We would like to request a contribution from each of you."

"What kind of contribution?" Cagalli asked.

Nikki took over. "A small army from each of your nations. I'm well aware that this rebellion will be large, so we're doing whatever we can do build up numbers. Because we don't have definite strategies quite yet, gaining more soldiers would be of great help."

Lacus smiled. "I would be delighted to help, you have my support. I will send word to the Supreme Council immediately."

Nikki smiled at her sister, before turning to Cagalli. She was deep in thought for several minutes before she lifted her head.

"Very well, I will help as well. But mainly because I am doing it for the sake of my country."

Nikki grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way." She bowed to the two younger girls. "I am indeed most grateful for your support, we'll be leaving now to take care of the evacuations."

Just as she turned to leave, Lacus spoke out. "Nikki, wait"

She turned to her sister, who smiled at her. "You go and prepare your forces, Cagalli and I will look after the citizens. It'll take less time especially when you have many other responsibilities to take care of."

Nikki turned back around and stared incredulously at her. "Are you sure? I mean you're doing enough by contributing."

Lacus nodded. "It's fine, besides, Cagalli is the Representative. Who else would know the best way to evacuate the city then her? This country and the people in it are her family, and mine as well. So we will do our part in protecting it."

Nikki stared in amazement as her sister made the final decision. She glanced at Cagalli who was nodding in agreement to Lacus's words. Turning back to Lacus, she smiled at her. "Very well, we'll leave it in your hands then. Best of luck to the both of you." Her and Kai both gave them a salute of respect, before turning and leaving the room.

As they exited, Kai turned to his girlfriend. "So what do we do first?" He asked as they walked down the hall.

She smiled knowingly. "There's a couple of people I know that may be able to help us, one is an old friend of mine. The other…well he's a little hard to get a hold of but he may give us some assistance if he hears ORB is being invaded."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Who are they?"

She turned to him. "The first is a expert mechanic. She knows everything there is to do with customization, installation, building and just all around everything."

He whistled. "Sounds good, what's her name?

Nikki grinned. "Echo, and I tell you now…do not underestimate her."

Kai stared. "Why would I?"

She sniggered. "Because when you meet her, she won't seem like she's a expert mechanic." When she saw the look on his face she explained. "You'll find out when you meet her."

He shrugged. "What about the other guy?"

Nikki stared back ahead. "He's a long story and will be harder to convince. So for now let's get to Echo, goodness knows that girl has been trying to find a use for her skills."

Meanwhile, Jason and Jenny had just taken off for the PLANTS in the Independence. They figured it would take less time to travel in a Gundam then waiting to board a shuttle. So Jason was currently flying his machine with his girlfriend in the space beside him.

"How long will it take to fly to the colonies?" she asked him

"A couple of hours at the most" He answered without taking his eyes away from the monitor."

Jenny sighed. "Man…not sure if I can sit that long in such a cramped spot"

Jason sniggered. "Oh relax, both Nikki and myself sometimes fly around for days, so if we can manage that I'm sure you can survive for one to two hours."

She huffed. "Fine, if that's the case I'm going to doze for a bit. Wake me up when we get there."

He glanced to her to see her lean against the side of the cockpit and drift off into an uneasy sleep. Not wanting her to be uncomfortable, he gently grabbed her waist and pulled her into his lap. She snuggled up to him and sighed contently. He smiled then turned his attention back to flying his machine.

They arrived at their destination almost 3 hours later. Seeing the colony a little ways, he gently nudged Jenny.

"Hey…hey Jen, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked sleepily. "Are we there yet?"

He smiled. "Just about, it's just ahead."

She sat up straight in his lap and looked out the monitor to look at the PLANTS. It felt good to be back here again. Although she was born on Earth and loved her planet, she always enjoyed travelling to space to visit these artificial lands that were home to all the coordinators.

"So which colony are we going to?"

Jason pointed to one. "That one, it's a new one that was recently built a couple of years ago. It's specifically meant for teenagers signing up for war, so this colony is mainly for military usage. You almost never see citizens there."

Jenny listened in interest to his explanation. 'Only for the military?' Wow these coordinators sure are precise about the placing for everything." She leaned forward even more, her eyes shining with curiosity.

Jason chuckled at her expression. "Jen you've been to the PLANTS before."

She turned to him with sparkling eyes. "I know! But the ones I've been to are only for peaceful living! The one we're going to is different, so I'm anxious to see what it's all like!"

He shook his head in amusement, but before he could say anything an anonymous voice sounded on his radio.

"This is the recruitment colony calling out to unknown mobile suit. Pilot, please identify yourself."

Jason pressed a button. "This is Jason Kazahana, Commander in the Zaft Forces, second in command under High Commander Nikki Clyne. I am approaching in the ZX105 Independence." He answered in a formal military tone.

"Commander Kazahana sir! I'm sorry we were not informed that you were visiting us."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Perfectly alright, this was at the last notice. This is an emergency order carried out by Nikki Clyne herself." He then grinned, "So are you going to disobey orders from her or are you going to grant me entry?" He held back a laugh when he heard the panicked soldier on the other side.

"NO! Of course not sir! You may come in immediately! I'll have someone meet you in the main hanger."

Jason nodded. "Very well, thank you very much soldier."

When the transmission ended, he burst out laughing causing his girlfriend, who was quiet the whole time, to look at him strangely.

"Why are you laughing?"

He grinned. "Oh these poor men, they order people around. Then when a superior officer visits they turn into a bunch of squealing girls."

Jenny lightly hit his arm, which just made him laugh harder. His hysteric fits were contagious and she found herself smiling slightly.

Another twenty minutes and they entered the main hanger in the colony. Looking down they saw a group of officers there to greet them.

Jason smirked at the sight of them. "Well this should be interesting, did I mention how much I love being in the top ranks?"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Behave yourself down there, they have the highest respect for you, this is no time to act all cocky."

He turned to her with mock hurt. "What made you think that I would not behave?

She pushed him in response. "Stop wasting time and lets go! We have a deadline to meet and the last thing I want is Nikki getting pissed!"

Thinking about an angry brunette made the blonde coordinator shiver. "Alright let's go."

Jason held his girlfriend to him and he hoisted them down to the waiting crowd. As soon as they touched the ground, a soldier walked up to them and saluted,

"Greetings Commander, I am Captain Robert Andrews. I am in charge of this facility."

Jason saluted in return. "Ah yes of course. Thank you Captain. Well we're in a bit of a tight schedule so I will explain to you why I'm here. But I need you to assemble all of your soldiers before I do, this applies to them as well."

Andrews bowed. "As you wish Commander, it shall be taken care of right away. Would you like someone to take you to spare headquarters while you wait?"

Jason shook his head. "No thank you, but I'd like to take a look around if that's alright." He slightly smiled when he saw Jenny's face light up at the corner of his eye.

Andrews nodded. "Very well…YOU! Soldier!"

Said soldier ran over and saluted the officers. "Sir!"

Andrews gestured to Jason and Jenny. "The Commander wishes to be shown around, this will be your task. See to it!"

The young recruit saluted once more. "Yes sir!" Then he walked over to Jason. "Please follow me sir!"

Jason and Jenny shared an amused glance before following him.

While they were being shown around, Jason did his best to strike a conversation with the boy.

"So…I take it you're new here"

"Yes sir!"

"Do you like it?"

"Yes sir!"

"Is that all you can say?"

"Ye-No Sir!"

Jason sniggered at the slip up. Jenny elbowed him in the ribs for teasing the poor boy.

"Stop it Jason, what did I say to you back in the cockpit?"

He grinned, "But he's just a newbie! I like watching them squirm. Besides give him a few weeks and he'll loosen up, they always do. I mean look at Nikki, she's one of the highest commanders in Zaft but she's still down to Earth."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes but you don't see her take advantage of the newbies! It's probably why she was placed in a higher position than you!"

While the two bickered, the young soldier that was leading them was curiously peering at them. He had no idea that high rank solders were like this. He thought they were all stiff and strict like the captain leading the facility. His interest peaked up when he heard them mention Commander Clyne. As far as he knew, she was equal, if not better than the pilot of the Freedom. He wanted to one day have the honour of meeting the High Commander of the Zaft Forces.

The boy stopped and turned to the older teenagers. They in turn halted in their tracks to stare quizzically at him.

He squirmed under their gaze, but he was determined to ask the questions that were bursting in his chest.

He hastily saluted. "Sir! Permission to speak freely!"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Sure, permission granted."

The young soldier squirmed. "Well…I was wondering…have you actually met Commander Clyne, sir?"

Jason sighed. This was typical; everywhere he went people always asked about Nikki because she was a famous and strong soldier. He was only one rank beneath her yet she was the one shining in the spotlight. But he didn't hold any grudges because Nikki didn't seem to care that she had all these fans, she just performed her duties which is why he didn't have any right be annoyed at her.

Sighing again he turned back to the boy. "Yes I have, she's a close friend of mine. My girlfriend here is best friends with her."

The boys' eyes went wide as he turned and stared at Jenny in awe. "Wow! You're best friends her? That's amazing! What's she like?

Jenny smiled at him. "She's just a person like everyone else, she may seem like a brutal commander but she's a nice and caring person when you get to know her."

He twiddled his fingers. "I've heard so many stories about her, she sounds so amazing. I've always wanted to meet her and see if the rumours are true."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "What rumours have you heard?"

The young boys face went red. "Well…not only is she known to be one of the best pilots around but I heard she's also…um…well…"

Jason leaned forward. "Well that's she's also what?"

He turned away from the blonde's intense stare. "That…thatshesreallybeautiful."

Even though the sentence was rushed, Jason and Jenny understood him. This young soldier obviously had a little crush on their friend and they found the situation rather amusing.

An idea suddenly ran through Jenny's head. She turned to the boy. "Wait here please." She grabbed Jason's arm and dragged him to a corner.

Once out of earshot she turned to him. "I have an idea"

Jason crossed his arms. "You're thinking about recruiting him aren't you?"

She grinned. "Yes, but not for my army. I was thinking about making him a personal messenger for Nikki. She'll need someone that can blend in and send messages, heck even spy for her. Someone that won't be suspected."

Jason glanced at the young boy. "And you're going to use him? Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean he seems like the type to get nervous under pressure."

Jenny glared. "Didn't you hear him? He is absolutely dying to meet Nikki, imagine what a honour and promotion it would be for him to work for her!"

Jason thought about that for a moment. It could be handy to have him work as a spy, that stupid terrorist wouldn't suspect him in the least. This boy was no older than sixteen so he could easily be mistaken as a civilian.

Grinning he turned to his girlfriend. "Alright, we'll recruit him, boy can't wait to see how he'll react when we tell him he's going to be working for the great Commander Clyne."

Jenny rolled her eyes. 'Men, typical mischievous creatures'

The two of them walked back over to the young soldier, who was still standing in wait. At sight of the older teens, he immediately started fidgeting again.

Jason ignored how nervous he looked and approached him. "Before we tell you our idea, I'll need to know your name first."

The young soldier looked at him. "Khris Anderson, sir"

Jason smiled. "Alright then Khris, we have a proposition for you."

Khris stared. "Proposition sir?"

Jason nodded. "Yes, and since it was her idea I'll let my lovely girlfriend Jenny tell you." He turned to said girl with a hopeful grin.

She glared before looking at Khris. "We would like to offer you, the position of personal attendant, spy and messenger for High Commander Nikki Clyne. Do you accept this offer?"

Khris' eyes went wide. They were offering him to work for Commander Clyne? This was the biggest honour of his life!

He straightened and saluted, barely able to contain his excitement. "Ma'am! I accept! It would be a privilege!"

The two older teens grinned at the young soldier's excitement. They knew he would accept without hesitation, to work beside Nikki was always a dream for any soldier in the Zaft Forces.

Jason clamped his hands together. "Well! With that sorted! Let's see how the assembly is going."

Khris saluted. "Sir! I will take you there!" He turned and strolled off, Jason and Jenny casually trailing behind him.

Khris led them to a big hall inside the colony, there was over 200 soldiers waiting for them. They all saluted when their Commander entered.

Jason saluted in kind before addressing them. "Soldiers of Zaft! I have come here today on behalf on High Commander Nikki Clyne. This is not a practise drill or exercise. We have a real war threatening to happen again and if we don't stop it, it could once again escalate out of control and threaten this peace we have worked so hard to obtain!

Jenny watched in awe as her boyfriend spoke firmly to the young recruits. She decided she liked this side of him, when he's an actual commander addressing his soldiers. She smiled as he continued to speak.

"The ORB nation is being threatened by a terrorist who is after revenge. At this moment he is heading towards that country, a massive army in pursuit. I am here to collect the best and gain a number in hopes of crushing this intruder! But remember, you are only under my command during the preparations! Whilst on the battlefield, you will be under command of Nikki Clyne herself! Is that understood?"

All the soldiers spoke simultaneously. "Yes Sir!"

Jason nodded. "Now we will be splitting you all into two large groups. One group will be with me, the other will be with her." He gestured to Jenny. "Soldiers! This is Captain Jennifer West, respected officer of the Orb Union, second in Command of the Murasames, directly underneath the command of Captain Kai Rodgericks!"

Jenny blushed slightly when they all saluted at her, not used to that much attention. But she quickly regained her composure and saluted back.

Jason stepped forward once again. "Now is the time for volunteering, those who do not want to take part in this fight please step out now."

No one moved, every young teenager in the room stood steadily in their place. They stared directly in front of them at their commander, fully ready to serve and fight for their fellow Nation.

Jason smiled. "Very well, your choice is much appreciated. Now we will split you into age groups for preparation. The youngest age up to the 17 year olds are under command of Captain West. The rest of you are to be with me, is that understood?

"Yes Sir!"

He nodded "Very well, Dismissed!"

Jenny immediately turned to her boyfriend once all the soldiers had been dismissed. She had no idea he could play his role as commander so well.

"My gosh Jason! That was amazing! No wonder you were promoted, you really know how to take charge!"

He smirked. "Well they're only newbies, it's a different story ordering soldiers that have been in the military for a long time. Especially ones that are many years older."

She smiled. "I'm sure you handle them just fine."

Jason smiled at her. "Well as much as I'd love to chat all day, we have youngsters to train."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "They're not that much younger than us."

He grinned. "Yeah but we're more experienced." He gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you later then ey?"

She mockingly saluted. "Yes Sir!"

He sniggered. "Dismissed!"

She turned on the spot and walked off with an exaggerated march, looking much like a dysfunctional robot. Jason laughed at her before turning and making his way to where the said 'youngsters' were waiting for him. As he made his way over, he couldn't help the thought that crossed his mind.

"This is going to be a long day."

End of Chapter

_**(Strokes chin) You know I rather like this chapter**_

_**Nikki – (raises eyebrow) Why's that?**_

_**Well because Jason and Jenny had some spotlight for a change, and also you get to meet Khris!**_

_**Nikki – (smiles) He is a rather nice guy isn't he?**_

_**Kai – (walks in) Hey girls**_

_**Nikki – Hey (walks up and kisses him) How is he?**_

_**(Gags in the background)**_

_**Kai – (sighs) Not so good… We think he caught a bug or something.**_

_**Is Jenny with him still?**_

_**Kai – Yeah we managed to get him to sleep for now**_

_**(Nods) That's good then…well why don't you two go ahead and do the honours of introducing the next chapter?**_

_**Kai – Sure thing… (turns and looks and audience) Thank you to those who have read this so far.**_

_**Nikki – We hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas, so here is the preview for the next chapter.**_

_**N/K: See you then!**_

_**(Wipes fake tears) That was beautiful!**_

_**Nikki – SHUT UP!**_

_Before they could even reach the steps, the front door swung open and a young girl came out. She was rather small with blonde hair and exotic deep amethyst sparkling eyes. As soon as she set her gaze on Nikki, her face lit up and she bolted down the stairs towards her. _

_Kai watched in amusement as Nikki was just about flattened by the massive hug that was thrown her way by this girl. But regardless of the brutal impact, the two girls laughed happily. He smiled. He figured they were happy to see each other, considering it had been years since they last saw each other._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Reunion with an old friend**

Welcome back everyone! Today we will be introducing a new character that will be appearing in the story! She has a huge part in Nikki's life and is one of her closest friends. Everyone please welcome Echo!

Echo: Wassup!

Hello there Echo! Feel excited about finally being in the story!

Echo: You bet! It'll only get better now that I'm in it!

-chuckles- I have no doubt about that

Nikki: -walks in- Hey Echo!

Echo: Hey!

-The two girls high five-

-smirks- You guys so remind me of myself and my best friend Al

Echo: Well duh! We are the OC's for both of you!

Nikki: Even though I'm way taller than my creator

Hey! I can easily draw you as a midget you know!

Echo: Yeah…she kinda has power of you Nikki

Nikki: …damn…

-grins- Well enough of that let's get this show on a road shall we? Take it away Echo!

Echo: Everyone please enjoy the chapter! And enjoy my brilliance!

…Ok let's not get carried away

After they had left Cagalli's office, Nikki thought about the remainder of her day. She had her friend Echo to visit, an army to put together, plus she had to convince another acquaintance of hers to help her out. She was well aware that he had purposely vanished from society and that he only would come out if he felt the need to, but she had her guesses as to where he would be hiding. But right now her main concern was to catch up with a certain young mechanic.

In a large mansion on the other side of town lived the very girl Nikki was after. The reason Echo was rich was mainly because not only did she build, she invented useful tools that she sold to people that needed them. And since she lived in a wealthy neighbourhood, she was always paid a fair deal of money.

Her mechanical skills were exactly what Nikki needed for the battle that was rapidly approaching; her friend was quick minded and could very easily outsmart a lot of coordinators. Although, when generally conversing with her, people would never guess the intelligence behind the hyper girl they meet on first impression.

Which is why Nikki was interested to see how Kai would react when he met her. Although she was a little nervous herself, she hadn't seen Echo since before all the wars started when they were attending school together, and that was many years ago.

They strode up to the large gate surrounding the mansion. It was made of thick steel, which made it obvious that Echo must've built it herself. Nikki wondered what sort of firepower this gate was immune to.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hand and pressed the buzzer before stepping back next to her boyfriend to wait.

Kai turned to her, noticing her anxiety. "Why are you so nervous? You're good friends with her aren't you?

Nikki glanced at him. "Yeah, but I haven't seen her since we were attending school together, and that was years ago before all the wars started. Back then I didn't really know much about handling guns, so I'm wondering how much she's changed."

Kai turned back to the gate. "I'm surprised you know where she lives."

She shrugged. "I looked up her profile and found her address." She grinned, "I had to do a little hacking to find it; she blocked her profile from public viewing… I guess it's just as well she moved here, otherwise she would've died on that colony along with everyone else."

Before he could reply to her, a perky, yet annoyed voice sounded out.

"_Who is it? Can't you people see that I'm busy?"_

Nikki sighed. "She hasn't changed a bit…figures."

The voices' owner apparently heard her. _"Who's there? I'll open fire on you!" _A small laser gun sitting on the gate was aimed at them, but knowing Echo it probably had strong firepower.

Nikki rolled her eyes at her friend's threats. "Calm down Echo it's just me."

There was silence for a moment before they were both almost deafened by a loud shriek. _"OH MY GOSH! Nikki? Is that YOU?"_

Said girl chuckled. "Yes it's me, can I come in please? I have someone here I'd like you to meet."

Echo's excited tone did not die away. _"Of course, of course! Come on in!"_

As soon as she said that, the huge gates opened. Nikki and Kai stepped inside and the moment they crossed over the gates slammed behind them, making the two jump.

They heard a giggle from the speaker box. _"Sorry about that! I don't want anyone trying to sneak in!_

Nikki and Kai looked at each other in astonishment before shrugging and making their way to the large mansion. Before they could even reach the steps, the front door swung open and a young girl came out. She was rather small with blonde hair and exotic deep amethyst sparkling eyes. As soon as she set her gaze on Nikki, her face lit up and she bolted down the stairs towards her.

Kai watched in amusement as Nikki was just about flattened by the massive hug that was thrown her way by this girl. But regardless of the brutal impact, the two girls laughed happily. He smiled. He figured they were happy to see each other, considering it had been years since they last saw each other. He stood to the side and listened to them chat away; patiently waiting for when Nikki would introduce him to her friend.

After being run over, Nikki pulled her away at arms length and smiled at her. "How have you been, Echo? It's been far too long"

Echo laughed. "As you can see from your surroundings, I've been doing just fine! And look at you, my gosh I don't remember you being so tall!"

Nikki laughed as well. "Yes I see you've been quite successful." She then smirked. "Well I had a bit of a growth spurt. Unlike you, look at you! You haven't changed a bit!" She ruffled Echo's hair making her friend giggle.

It was then that Echo noticed Kai. "Oohhh, and who's this hottie? Was this the person you were talking about earlier?"

Nikki smiled and nodded. "Yes it is." She walked over to Kai, grabbed his hand and gently pulled him over. "This is my boyfriend, Kai Rodgericks."

Echo's eyes went wide. "Boyfriend? Oh my! You lucky girl!.…But wait… I thought you were dating Darren."

At the mentioning of her deceased ex, Nikki's expression turned sour. She turned her head away. "That's something I'd rather not get into right now." 

Her friend slightly frowned. "Why? Did he do something to you?"

When she didn't say anything, Kai spoke up. "He's dead." Sorrow was apparent in his voice.

Echo covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes widening in horror. "Oh no! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive subject, I had no idea!"

Nikki shook her head sadly. "It's fine Echo, it was years ago. And besides…" She looked back up at her. "His death is part of the reason we're here."

The younger girl stared at her in interest. "Oh I see, well seems like we have some chatting to do. Why don't you come in and have some hot chocolate or something? Then we'll get talking."

Nikki nodded. "Sounds good, but we can't be too long. We're on a bit of a tight schedule at the moment."

Echo nodded then turned. "Well come in and make yourselves comfortable, I'll go and get the drinks prepared."

She led them into the front door. They entered into the foyer of her home, which was large enough as it was. Nikki figured that she would have to come by for a proper visit so she could tour the house properly, but unfortunately now wasn't the time.

After making sure her guests were comfortable on couches in the lounge room, which was twice as big as the foyer, Echo scurried off to the kitchen to make the drinks she had promised. To Nikki's amazement she came back barely a minute later carrying a tray with three steaming mugs.

She picked up one of the offered mugs. "Should I dare ask how you did that so fast?"

Echo giggled. "Oh just another of my inventions!" She said happily, as she sat down across from the couple.

After taking a sip of her warm drink, Nikki went straight down to business. "Well I suppose I better explain the real reason I'm here."

Her friend nodded. "Explain away Nikki, the floor is all yours."

She rolled her eyes, "Thank you. Well as much as I'd like to say this was a random friendly visit…I'm afraid it isn't under the circumstances we're in."

Echo leaned forward with interest. "And what is your reason for coming here on such short notice?"

For the next hour, Nikki and Kai took turns describing the sudden turmoil and danger that ORB was in. Nikki explained the connection it had with Darren's death and how it was his brother leading the invasion. Echo was shocked when informed Nikki was the one that killed Darren, but agreed that in the given situation she had made the right choice. Kai informed her of the plans they were undergoing at that moment and how they planned to gather forces to stop this attack.

After telling her everything, they looked to see Echo in deep thought. After a minute of silence she turned to them. "So, seeing as this is all war related you obviously came here for my help. Am I right?"

Nikki nodded. "You're the only person I know that has skills of high level when it comes to mechanical work. But this is entirely up to you Echo, if you decline I can easily find someone else to help out."

Her friend shook her head. "No it's fine, in fact I've been trying to find a good use for my daily hobbies." She then grinned. "But it also means I'll be under your command doesn't it?"

The older girl laughed. "Only on military terms you will be yes, but otherwise we'll treat each other like we always do."

Echo clapped her hands together. "That's great! Oh do you think you can do something? I want my invite to this project to be more fun."

Nikki raised an eyebrow. "Fun how?"

Echo giggled. "Give me this invite like you would to someone joining the army, like in a formal military way."

Nikki rolled her eyes. "Serious?" When she saw her pout she sighed. "Fine, whatever."

She stood up and positioned herself into a soldier like stance, before turning to Echo. "Will you accept the proposition, to help fight for the country of ORB and serve under the command of High Commander Nikki Clyne?"

Echo copied Nikki's stance and saluted her commanding officer. "Ma'am! I accept!"

Nikki saluted back in respect for her friends' acceptance, the two of them standing still for a long moment. The silence was then broken when they both burst out laughing, and collapsed back into the couches.

Kai watched with wide eyes at the sudden change. One moment they were soldiers, the next they were giggling girls. He smiled, knowing that even though one outranked the other, their friendship always came first.

When they finally calmed down, the three stood up. Nikki walked over and stopped in front of her friend. "I'm grateful you're able to help out. What I need is one more favour from you."

Echo nodded. "Sure, what would you like?"

Nikki continued. "We have about another day and a half before the invasion. Until then I want you to make whatever you can for this. I'm also going to give you the OS access codes to our Gundams." Echo's eyes widened when the Gundams were mentioned. "I want you to alternate and improve them as much as you can. Don't worry about Jason and myself figuring out what you've done, we'll manage, we're coordinators too."

A huge grin appeared on Echo's face. "It will be my pleasure, anything else?"

Nikki nodded, smiling at her excitement. "I'll also give you access to all the other machines too, such as the Murasames and the Sky Graspers. There'll be others that you can have fun with, they'll also be with the file I give you."

Echo was starting to get anxious. "When do I get the codes?"

Nikki smiled. "That's another thing I wanted to ask you. Instead of waiting for my orders around here, I want to invite you to come back with us to Head Quarters. That way instead of waiting for emails, I can just give you unlimited file and system access from there. Plus that's where all the Gundams and everything are so you can work on them first hand."

The more she spoke, the wider her friends' eyes became. She smiled at this. "So are you going to stand there and gawk all day, or are you coming with us?"

This snapped Echo out of the trance she was in. "Oh! Yes I'll go and pack my things straight away!" Before she even finished her sentence, she was already vaulting up the stairs.

The older couple stayed in the lounge room and used the time to relax a little while they were waiting for the young mechanic to finish getting ready. Nikki could already feel exhaustion weigh on her from everything that was happening…and it was still over a day until the invaders arrived.

Kai sensed his girlfriends fatigue and hugged her close to him. "You weren't kidding about her. If you hadn't told me she was an expert mechanic, I would've just thought she was a normal rich girl living off her parents wealth."

Nikki laughed while snuggling into his embrace. "Everyone thinks that way when they first meet her, even I was like that. I was quite surprised when I found out just how intelligent she was. But then again…she's constantly surprising everyone."

He nodded. "That I can most definitely understand."

It was silent for another 10 minutes before Nikki found herself becoming slightly restless. "Come on Echo, hurry up."

Kai laughed. "I imagine she probably has all these tools and what not to pack."

She nodded. "Yeah, not to mention her computer, that thing is her entire world."

He sniggered and pulled her closer so that her back was pressed firmly into his chest. He leaned down and whispered softly in her ear. "You do realize that we're completely alone right?"

Nikki shivered when she felt his hot breath but didn't say anything. She really didn't want to lose control here, if Echo found them making out on her couch there'd be the devil to pay.

But those thoughts instantly vanished when she felt Kai's lips travel down her neck. Barely suppressing the urge to moan, she leaned back and arched her neck to give him more access. Not wanting him to have all fun, she turned around and smashed her lips against his, forcing him onto his back as they collapsed on to the couch. The last time they had kissed was when they had lost control at the park. That was earlier in the late morning, and it was now reaching into the afternoon. That was too long to go without kissing her boyfriend so feeling his mouth against hers at that moment was absolute heaven.

A loud "Ahem" caused them to break apart. Nikki turned to see Echo staring at them with a mix of bemusement and annoyance.

She gave her friend a sheepish grin. "Um…hey Echo, so you all done?"

Her friend glared at her. "How long was I gone for you two to start getting all hot and steamy on my couch?"

Kai grinned at her, obviously not regretting anything. "It may be your couch, but she's my girlfriend, so I have all rights to kiss her anytime that I want."

The girls turned and stared at him, Echo glared while Nikki grinned. He shrugged. "It could've been a lot worse Echo, and you know it."

She growled. "How could it have been worse? My poor couch has been contaminated by hormonal teenagers that's can't control themselves!

Nikki sighed. "We're not hormonal."

Echo turned her glare to her. "If not that, then would you explain why you were sprawled out on my lounge with your lips and limbs attached?"

Nikki smiled, not at all bothered by her temper. "We're in love Echo, that's all."

Whatever response it was Echo expected, it certainly wasn't that. She was waiting for Nikki to lose her temper and explode back at her like she normally would. But when she didn't, it made her realize that her friends' height wasn't the only thing about her that had drastically changed. This realization stunned her into silence, making her unsure how to respond. But when she turned her attention back to the couple, she was amazed by what she saw.

After giving the very straight and serious answer, Nikki had turned to gaze lovingly at her boyfriend. He in turn gave her the same soft expression and was currently caressing her face as they became lost in each other's eyes. In all the years she had known Nikki, Echo had never seen that look on her friends' face. She was either normally happy, downright angry about something or just simply didn't care. Even while dating Darren she had never seen so much love and emotion shared between Nikki and her boyfriend. But here she was now, staring with such love and intensity at a boy…no, a man that had most obviously stolen her heart, and in turn had whole-heartedly given her his. Suddenly she wasn't angry any more, there was no way she could defend her couch when these two were so obviously in love. So for now she'd let this one slide.

As much as she was fascinated with this new discovery of her friends' expression, she remembered the tight schedule Nikki mentioned they were in.

So stepping forward she reluctantly spoke. "Ok, I'll forgive you this one time Nikki, but don't you think it's time we got going?"

Nikki broke her gaze and turned to her friend. "Oh…yeah that's right we better get a move on."

Very begrudgingly, she pulled away from Kai's arms and stood up. "Thanks for reminding us Echo, we probably would've sat there staring at each other all day if you hadn't said anything." She stated while she stretched her arms above her head.

Echo rolled her eyes. "Yes I realize that, which is why I broke the connection. Now…did you guys bring a car?"

Nikki grinned at her while pulling her boyfriend off the couch, though she didn't let go of his hand once he was on his feet. "Of course I brought a car, how do you think we got here?"

Echo grinned back. "Excellent, I shout shotgun!"

Nikki sighed. "Alright, just as long as you don't mess with my car while I'm driving. I like it just the way it is."

Her friend pouted. "Aaaaww! You're no fun!"

She chuckled. "If you behave during the next couple of days then maybe we can organise something."

That put Echo right back into a good mood as she cheered loudly, causing the couple to laugh.

They each held some of Echo's luggage; the girl obviously had many plans up her sleeve. Nikki prayed that it would not be anything that would literally explode in their faces…that was the last thing they needed at the moment. They paused briefly while Echo spent a good couple of minutes locking up the house and turning on alarms and traps in case any intruders tried to break in. With some of them, Nikki decided that if she was an intruder, she'd rather keep living then try and break in… some of those contraptions looked lethal. _"Echo has way too much time on her hands." _

After making sure everything was secure with the house, Echo then spent the same amount of time on the gate guarding her home. Nikki felt very sorry for whoever was stupid enough to try and break in. She tried not to think about the outcome for the poor victim. Once Echo was happy with the security, they then made their way to Nikki's car, which was parked a few blocks away.

Echo raised her eyebrow at this. "Why did you park all the way down there?"

Nikki grinned. "Because I know you Echo, if I had parked in front of the house you would've been very suspicious and set one of your 'inventions' on me."

Echo blushed, knowing she was right. "Well you can never be too careful these days."

Nikki just laughed. "I know, but we wanted to enjoy the walk. We don't get much time to ourselves."

Echo grumbled. "Obviously not, from what I saw earlier" This statement just made the brunette laugh harder.

Kai, who was walking on Nikki's other side holding her hand, listened in silent amusement to their conversation. He had learned from Jason to never speak while girls, especially old friends, were having conversations. He didn't fully believe it, since the only reason Jason got hurt for interrupting was because he purposely said something to annoy Nikki. He smiled slightly; his best mate will never learn. But even though he knew better then to put his foot in his mouth, he decided to stay silent anyway just to be polite.

Kai was broken out of his thoughts when he felt a tug on his hand from his girlfriend. He turned to see the two girls staring at him.

He smiled at them. "Yes ladies?"

Nikki smiled. "Would you mind running ahead and unlocking the car? I just want to have a private word with Echo."

He nodded, not asking why. "Sure thing."

She handed him the keys, gave him a quick kiss then turned back to Echo while her boyfriend ran ahead of them.

Echo arched a curious eyebrow at her. "Oh and do tell what you must say to me that Mr. Perfect Boyfriend over there is not allowed to hear."

Nikki couldn't help but laugh at her nickname for Kai. "Well, you remember earlier when you caught us…making out on your couch?" She said with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Echo rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, I swear I'm scarred for life now. That couch will never be the same again. Do you want it? I'll sell it to you for a good price."

Nikki chuckled and waved her hand. "Nah it's ok, but thanks for the offer anyway." She then looked curious. "I was wondering… you changed your mind rather quickly. One moment you're chucking a fit, the next you're all forgiving. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Echo wondered if she should tell her friend about the change she saw in her and figured it was harmless enough. Besides if anything, she'd be giving out a huge compliment.

With her mind made up she turned to Nikki. "Well I realized how much you've changed over the years."

Nikki was slightly surprised by this. "Changed? What do you mean by that? Changed how?"

Echo took a deep breath before speaking. "Well normally if I shout at you, you'd shout back. You used to get pissed off really easily if I lost my temper. But instead you just calmly said that you were in love, rather softly I might add."

Nikki stared at her friend with wide eyes. "You noticed that with me just saying one sentence?"

The younger girl laughed. "Well it's been years since I've seen you, and the last memory I have is of you exploding at Jason because of some small stupid comment he made."

Nikki chuckled. "Well that hasn't changed much, I still explode at him from time to time. He just knows what buttons to press to get on my nerves."

Echo smiled. "Sounds like Jason hasn't changed much either. Any way there was also something else I noticed after you said that."

Nikki stared at her. "Something else? What more changes'

Echo's eyes dazed slightly as she thought back to only a little earlier. "You're expression."

Nikki was confused. "My expression? What about it?"

Her friend turned back to her. "This wasn't a change, it was something I'd never seen before…the look you were giving Kai."

It was then Nikki understood what her friend was saying. "Oh you mean the staring competitions we have?"

This comment caused Echo to laugh. "Does Kai know you call it that?"

Nikki grinned. "Sure he does, he's the one that made it up…now what about our loving gazes?"

Echo went into deep thought again for a few seconds. "Well…it's the first time I've ever seen that look on you before, I've never seen you stare at a guy like that. And because it was so obvious how in love you two are, I just couldn't stay mad about the couch."

Nikki smiled while thinking about her boyfriend. "I'm glad you noticed that, because Kai has changed my life more than you realize. It didn't take me very long to fall for him and my feelings have just grown stronger over the years." She turned to Echo, a dreamy and happy smile showing very clearly on her face. "I love him so very much, I want nothing more then to spend the rest of my life with him."

Echo was overall just amazed at how happy Nikki was, she could see her eyes practically sparkling of the love and affection she held for her boyfriend. But it was Nikki's last statement that caught her attention. Not only did she straightforwardly proclaim her feelings for him, but she also wanted to spend her whole life with him. Echo felt the need to talk to this boy about taking things further; she didn't like it when boyfriends were too chicken to propose to their girlfriends, especially when it was obvious that that was what Nikki was waiting for. This boyfriend of her friend was up for a stern talk when they arrived at Head Quarters.

Nikki noticed that her last sentence gave her friend a lot to think about, so she let her be and continued to walk beside her. She wasn't sure why, but even though there was a war threatening to break out with a brutal army, she felt strangely happy. She was reunited with a close friend she hadn't seen in years, and she was practically swelling with her love for Kai. As of that moment, things couldn't have been any better. She felt that her life was finally taking a turn for the better.

Both girls' daydreams were broken once they reached Nikki's car, Kai patiently waiting for them in the back seat. Nikki sat in the drivers' seat, while Echo excitingly jumped into the passenger seat beside her. Nikki smiled at her before switching on the ignition and driving off.

Most of the ride was silent. Echo had her laptop out and was furiously typing away, while Nikki was fully concentrated on the road. Kai was entertained by just staring back and forth between the two girls, although a lot of his stares lingered for several minutes on the driver.

The silence was broken when Echo had finished whatever she was working on and she closed her laptop, a content yet mischievous smile on her face. Nikki glanced at her quickly before averting her eyes back to the road. "What were you working on just then?"

Echo's devilish grin grew wider. "Oh just something I've been planning the last few weeks."

Her dangerous smile made Nikki nervous, but she didn't comment any further. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what this project of hers was anyway. She decided to ignore her schemes and looked into the review mirror to see how her boyfriend was doing. "How about you babe? How are you going back there?" She ignored Echo's gagging when she called Kai 'babe'.

He smiled at her. "I'm fine, I was surprised how quiet you two were, I thought I'd have to endure through girly talk the whole way."

His girlfriend shot him a playful glare. "It's not all just girly talk, besides us two barely have conversations like that."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then there must be a reason I was sent away earlier, it was obviously something you didn't want me to hear."

She blushed slightly. "It wasn't girly, it was a private chat about a serious matter. There's a big difference between the two."

He grinned. "Sure Nikki, whatever you say."

Echo was enjoying this playful banter. So far since they arrived at her door, they were always acting all lovey dovey in front of her. Now she was experiencing a lover's spat between the two, oh she was enjoying this immensely.

But the banter was cut short when Nikki pulled up in front of a large building. Echo's eyes bulged out of her head when she realized where they were. "This is where the Representative lives!"

Nikki stared at her as if she had just sprouted an extra head. "Well…yeah I did say we were going to Head Quarters. We call it that because we've been staying here for the last couple of weeks."

Echo gawked at the building for a moment, before she scrambled out of the car to get a better look at 'Head Quarters'. "This place is amazing! I've never been up close to it before!"

Nikki chuckled at her friends' excitement. "Well come on inside and you can have a look around. But we'll have to save a proper tour for later, I'm going to introduce you to the Representative of Orb Cagalli Yula Attha, and the Chairwoman of the PLANTS Supreme Council, Lacus Clyne."

Echo's eyes grew to the size of tennis balls when finding out she was going to meet the two nation leaders. But then she turned to Nikki curiously when she heard Lacus's name. "Lacus Clyne…does that mean you two are related or something?"

Nikki sighed. _"Here we go again." _"Yes we're sisters. We were separated at toddler age and just properly met again about a year ago."

Her friend gawked at her. "Wow, you must be really well known in the PLANTS then."

She smiled grimly. "More than you know. Lacus made me High Commander of Zaft, only a rank under Kira Yamato who's just under her. So technically speaking, I'm the third highest ranking officer all of PLANTS and the ZAFT Military."

Echo's jaw dropped. "How on earth did you manage to become so highly promoted, it can't just be the fact that you're Lacus Clyne's sister right?"

Nikki shook her head. "No, she promoted me because I share equal, if not more, skill with the pilot of the Freedom."

By this point, Echo was close to passing out. Not only was Nikki well known, but she was also the third most respected figure in the PLANTS, not to mention she was a highly skilled pilot.

She couldn't contain her excitement. "So does that mean you have your own Gundam?"

Nikki chuckled. "Yes I do, the ZX15 Vengeance. Remember? I drew out the design while we were at school."

Echo's grin grew wider. "Oh! Those blueprints we made for the class assignment! No way you had that machine MADE?

Nikki grinned and nodded. "Sure did, in fact once we're done with Cagalli and Lacus, we'll head down to the hanger and I'll show you."

By this point Echo was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, a clear sign that she couldn't wait to see the machines she would be working on.

Once again, Kai was silent while he walked behind them. He didn't mind not being included in the conversation; Nikki hadn't seen her friend in a long time so they had lots to catch up on. Besides he found their perky chats entertaining to listen to.

The three reached the Representatives door, pausing for a moment before knocking. Nikki turned to Echo, "Are you ready?"

When the younger girl nodded, Nikki turned and knocked loudly on the door. There was a moment of silence before Cagalli's voice was heard. "Come in."

Nikki and Kai entered first. They wanted to formally introduce Echo first before she was shown to the Representative. Echo quietly hid behind the two older teens, doing her best to calm the knots that had suddenly decided to appear in her stomach. Her ears perked up when the others in the room started talking, so she waited for the moment when Nikki would reveal her.

Nikki was disheartened to see that her sister was not in the room. "Evening Cagalli." She spoke casually, like she was speaking to a citizen and not the Representative of ORB.

Cagalli slightly growled but nodded her head politely in Nikki's direction. "Nikki."

Nikki grinned smugly but didn't comment; instead she focused on the actual reason she was here. She stepped forward slightly, but not too much to reveal the girl behind her. "I have a small update on our preparations. I was hoping Lacus would be here too, because this concerns her as well."

Cagalli leaned forward. "Her and Kira are out having dinner. While they're gone I've been taking care of the evacuations, but they should be back soon. They left not too long after you two did."

Nikki smiled. Well she wasn't about to interrupt a time out Lacus deserved. "That's ok Cagalli, I'll tell you now and inform her later." When the blonde nodded she continued. "I went to see an old friend of mine. I used to go to school with her so I thought I'd go pay her a visit."

Cagalli was starting to get impatient. "What's your point Nikki, why are you taking me on a trip down memory lane?"

The brunette grinned. "Hang on, I'm getting there. You see this is no ordinary friend." She paused. "She's an expert mechanic, one that could help us with this fight."

That caught the Representatives attention. "Expert mechanic? How good is she?"

Nikki's smile grew. "The best, she can do just about anything. I'm going to have her in a control room with access to the Gundams OS so she can add any sort of alternation she wants during the fights. We can even have her make equipment that could be of use, things that are uniquely made and are designed according to how she wants them. For example if she had explosives made, she would be the only one that would be able to set them off when the enemy least expects it. "

Cagalli stared at her with wide eyes. "That's incredible! Well where is she? I want to meet this girl!"

Nikki looked at Kai who grinned, and they both stepped to the side revealing the silent girl behind them. Echo stared blankly as the Representative looked her over.

Cagalli stared at her then Nikki. "This is her?"

Nikki nodded. "I know she doesn't seem like it, but whatever you do don't underestimate or annoy her. She'll throw deadly weapons at you. _Not to mention those explosive mice._" She shivered, remembering the last time she accidentally set of the small bombs. That was an experience she'd rather live without.

Cagalli turned back to stare at Echo. It was hard to believe that this harmless looking girl could build destructive weapons, but Nikki was obviously serious about her so she had no choice but to believe it.

She walked around the desk and stood in front of the young mechanic. She stretched out her hand in a friendly gesture. "Hello Echo it's a pleasure to meet you."

Echo stared at her hand as if it was about to explode. She put her hand in Cagalli's and shook it. "Yup you too." She said bluntly.

Cagalli smiled. "Not nervous are you?"

The young teen raised an eyebrow. "Should I be?"

Cagalli laughed pulled her hand away to place it on the girls shoulder. "I like your attitude, that's the kind of confidence I want to see during the battle."

Echo grinned. "No worries. I won't let you down, I have plenty of plans up my sleeve for those nasty buggers."

Nikki smiled. She was grateful that the two were getting along, she'd give it another few weeks before Echo would tease Cagalli the same way she did. She grinned to herself; now that was something to look forward to.

She remembered that she promised to show Echo the hanger, so she stepped forward. "I'm sorry to cut this meeting short, but I promised to show Echo around."

Cagalli nodded. "Of course, and I will inform you when Kira and Lacus are back from their date."

Nikki smiled. "Thanks, tell her I'll meet her back here. See you later Cagalli." Before she walked out, she gave her a playful salute, which the blonde glared at. Kai saluted her properly before following his girlfriend out the door. Echo quickly saluted her as well before bolting out the door after her friends.

Kai quickly strode up to catch up to Nikki, with Echo trailing behind him. Nikki turned and smiled at them. "Come on slow pokes."

Echo glared. "You got a head start, that's not fair!"

Kai sighed. "Plus you walk fast Nikki, we had to almost jog to keep up."

Nikki sniggered. "Well, we'll show Echo here the hanger then take her to where she'll be staying."

Echo stared with curious eyes. "Where am I staying?"

Nikki turned to her. "One of the rooms near ours, just a few halls away from Cagalli's office."

Echo's eyes sparkled. "You mean I'm staying in this building?"

The older girl chuckled, "Yes you'll be staying here until the fighting is over."

By now her face was lighting up the entire building. "Oh awesome! I can't wait to see my room!"

Nikki and Kai both chuckled. She was such an intelligent girl but she also had the fun side of her that one would experience with a hyper child.

Several minutes later they entered the large hanger that held all their machines. Echo gazed in wonder at everything around her; she couldn't wait to start working on everything.

Nikki placed her hand on her shoulder. "Come over here, I'll show you mine and Jason's Gundams."

She led her friend over to another door in the corner. "We keep our machines in a different and more secured hanger. We don't want the risk of anyone stealing them since they're the best weapons that our two nations have."

Echo grinned at her. "And you're the pilot of one of them."

Nikki laughed. "Yes that's very true."

Kai spoke up. "You girls go in, I'm going to head back to our room and take a shower."

Nikki nodded then led her friend inside the large door while Kai turned and walked the opposite direction.

The two girls entered the second hanger, which was pitch black. Nikki felt her way along the wall until her hand came in contact with the large lever. She gripped the cold metal bar and pulled it down. Instantly all the lights brightened the room, revealing the two Gundams.

Echo gawked at the two mighty machines that stood before her. Nikki smiled bemusedly at her expression. "As you can see they don't have their Phase Shift Armor on at the moment so we're unable to see their colours."

Echo turned to her with pleading eyes. "Oh turn them on please? I want to see their colours!"

Nikki laughed. "Alright, but I can only show you mine. If you want to see Jason's then you'll have to ask him."

At the sound of the blonde's name, she turned to Nikki. "Where is Jason anyway?"

Nikki turned to her. "Him and Jenny have gone to a recruitment colony up in the PLANTS. They're finding soldiers to help us fight against the rebellion."

Echo nodded. "Fair enough, I'll guess I'll see him when he gets back…but who's Jenny?"

Nikki grinned. "His girlfriend, and my current best friend."

Echo smiled. "Oh he has a girlfriend! Oh my never thought I'd see the day! Oh and your best friend? Hmm I'm going to have to definitely meet this girl then."

Nikki nodded. "Well you wait here while I go start up the Vengeance."

Echo nodded and waited while Nikki made her way to her machine. She watched as she hoisted herself up before climbing into the machine. She wrung her fingers together in anticipation, waiting for the Vengeance to show its magnificence.

_**Well there we have it! Echo's first official appearance! **_

_**Echo: Could've been better**_

_**Nikki: Why do you say that?**_

_**Echo: Um…hello! Someone was playing tonsil hockey with their hubby on my precious furniture!**_

_**Nikki: Well you took your sweet time getting ready!**_

_**Echo: It's still my couch!**_

_**Ok girls time out, let's calm down before blood is spilt…where are all the others?**_

_**Echo: Jason and Jenny are out on a date somewhere… I think…**_

_**Nikki: And Kai's not feeling well…once we're done here I'm going to check on him.**_

_**Aaww poor boy! I didn't know he was sick! Maybe I should draw him a sexy picture of Nikki to cheer him up!**_

_**Nikki: -blushes- I'M RIGHT HERE YA KNOW!**_

_**Well yeah…what's your point?**_

_**Echo: -pulls out laptop- I'm bored I'm going to do some hacking, see you all later! –wonders off-**_

_**-sweat drops- How much time does she spend on that computer?**_

_**Nikki: Who knows…can we wrap this up now? I have a sick boyfriend waiting for me.**_

_**-groans- Fiiiinne, well here's the preview for the next chapter! Thank you all for coming! Bye bye! See you all next time!**_

_Nikki tilted her head curiously. "Kai? Are you ok?"_

_Kai averted his eyes slightly; whatever he was about to say he decided to hold in at the last minute. _

_He let his arms drop from her waist and turned away, "I'm fine, feel free to use the shower." _

_She knew something was bothering him, so she gently grabbed his wrist and turned him to face her. Seeing he was trying to avoid eye contact, she reached up and gently pulled his face back to look at her. When their eyes met, she saw nothing but uncertainty staring back at her. _

_Her eyes softened in concern. "Kai…sweetie what's wrong? Talk to me."_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Meetings

Alrighty! Well before we start anything I just want to say to all my fellow Australians…HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY! AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI!

_**Nikki: You Aussies are completely whacked….**_

_**Hey! We like to have fun all right? **_

_**Nikki: Whatever I still think you're nuts**_

_**Kai: Aw come on Nikki let her have her moment**_

_**Thank you Kai!**_

_**Nikki: -glares at him- who's side are you on?**_

_**Kai: Uh…-starts sweating-**_

_**Jason: -sniggers- Uh oh…busted!**_

_**Nikki: -leers at Jason- who asked you?**_

_**Jason: - Hey wow someone's in a mood!**_

_**(Doors get blasted down)**_

_**-Coughs- what the-oh man…ECHO!**_

_**Echo: -appears- Sorry! I forgot my keys!**_

_**THEN KNOCK! I have to pay for repairs since this is my house! GREAT!**_

_**Echo: Knocking is boring!**_

_**Kai: (To Nikki and Jason) Maybe we should just start the chapter…**_

_**Nikki: Good idea, she'll be blasting Echo for a while**_

_**Jason: Enjoy everyone!**_

Nikki sat inside her machine and looked around the cockpit of her fighting partner. It had been several weeks since she had been fighting inside the Vengeance, so she decided to get a feel of her before she would fly her out onto the battlefield. After a minute of getting comfortable, she turned the machine on and felt everything hum to life. The cockpit lit up as all the instruments turned on. She pulled out the keyboard and started furiously typing away. She thought she might as well check up on the settings and update her OS system. She was so caught up with her machine that she was unaware of the excitement of the friend she had left nearby.

Echo gasped as the Vengeance came to life. It's blue eyes flashed and the Phase Shift Armor wrapped around the machine in magnificent black and purple. Sunlight poured through a window, the beam hitting directly onto the shining metal causing it to glint and show only by appearance the power that this fighter could perform on a battlefield. Echo grinned, although there were plenty of instalments she knew she could add, there was no way she would change the colours, mainly because black and purple were obviously Nikki's choices. So she decided that would be one detail she would most definitely leave alone.

She continued to gaze in wonder at the machine that stood before her. She knew Nikki must still be inside working on the machines systems so she took the time to admire this powerful warrior. She arched her neck to try and spot Nikki, she could hear the vague sound of her typing but she was too high up for Echo to see.

Curious about the inside of the cockpit, she yelled out to her friend. "Hey Nikki! Have you forgotten about me already?"

Nikki stopped typing upon hearing her friends' voice. "No I haven't, just working on a few modifications! You can come up if you want!"

Before Echo could ask how, the hoist line came down for her to take. Nikki yelled out to her again. "Jump on that! I'll bring you up!"

She jumped and grabbed onto the line. "Ok I'm on!" Her grip tightened when the line jerked upwards without warning.

Once she reached the top, she walked over and peered over the Vengeance's controls. "Wow! This is amazing! This is the most upgraded and improved machine I've ever seen!"

Nikki laughed. "Well yes it is one of the most latest designs."

Echo's eyes shined as they travelled around the cockpit "If I wasn't so scared of flying, I'd take this baby everywhere!"

Nikki chuckled. "Still not fond of flying around huh? That's too bad I was prepared to take you out for a spin."

Echo shivered. "Ah…no that's ok I feel better on the ground, but thanks for the offer anyway."

A beeping noise went off and the two girls turned to the source. It was a transmissions call so Nikki pressed a few buttons before answering. "Yes? Nikki here."

She was pleased to hear her sisters' voice. "Nikki! There you are! I tried your room but no one answered so I figured you'd be down in the hanger."

Nikki chuckled. "Kai is most likely still in the shower, and the reason I'm down here is because I have a friend with me."

Lacus spoke back with an excited tone. "Yes! Cagalli told me of the talented mechanic girl! Any way I can meet her?"

Nikki smiled. "Sure thing, we'll just finish up here and we'll make our way over."

"Very well then! See you soon!" she exclaimed before hanging up.

After the call, and while Nikki was shutting her machine down, Echo continued to stare at the place where Lacus's voice came from. Nikki noticed her friends' expression. "Are you alright Echo?"

Echo turned to her with wide eyes. "Was that who I thought it was?"

Nikki laughed. "Yes, that was my sister Lacus, which means she must've just come back from her date with Kira, so you'll be meeting her shortly."

Echo grinned. "Awesome! I get to meet your sister! It's one surprise after the next with you people!"

Nikki grinned back. "Well it's what happens when you're in the military, come on then let's make our way down."

Echo clung on to Nikki as she hoisted the two of them down. Once reaching the floor, she pounced off the older girl, grateful to be back on solid ground. Nikki smiled in amusement at her but didn't say anything, instead she silently lead her friend back the way they came. 

A few minutes later found them standing once again in front of Cagalli's door. But instead of knocking, Nikki turned to the girl next to her. "Listen, you head on in and meet Lacus."

Echo stared at her. "Aren't you going to come in?"

Nikki shook her head. "I have a lot more things I need to get done. For the rest of the day I'll be busy recruiting soldiers, so I'll be working the rest of the afternoon." She placed a comforting hand on Echo's shoulder. "Don't you worry; Lacus is one of the kindest people you'll meet. I doubt you'll have any trouble getting along with her.

Echo nodded. "Ok, I'll do my best. It can't be that hard seeing as she's your sister."

Nikki nodded and smiled. "That's the spirit. Well go on in, if Lacus asks where I am just tell her what I told you." When the younger girl nodded, she gave her one last smile before turning and walking away.

Echo watched her go for a moment, and then taking a deep breath she turned back to the door and knocked.

"Please come in!"

Hearing the friendly voice caused her to grin. 'This should be fun.' With confidence she opened the door and upon entering, saw a girl standing by the desk waiting with a patient smile. She immediately saw the similar resemblance she had with Nikki, the main difference being that she had soft pink hair that flowed down her back.

The Chairwoman walked forward with a warm welcoming smile. "Hello there! You must be Echo! It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Lacus Clyne!"

Echo smiled back, still flabbergasted by how friendly this girl was. "Hello Lacus, it's a pleasure to meet you as well. Nikki's told me a few things about you." She said, doing her best to be polite with her best friends sister.

Lacus's smile widened. "Has she now? Well what have you heard?"

Echo gave her a sheepish grin. "Well she firstly told me your position in the PLANTS, then told me that you two were sisters and the slight history behind that. And just before I came in here she told me that you were one of the kindest people she knew."

She wondered if she had said a bit much with the last statement, but took it back when she saw the smile on Lacus's face grow. "She said that about me? Oh my I'm so lucky to have a wonderful older sister!"

Echo nodded, her mind drifting to her own long lost sibling. She hadn't told anyone, not even Nikki, what her last name was. At school she had asked them to keep it a secret within their records, she wasn't ready to be bombarded with questions if people found out whom she was related to. Especially now since the two biggest wars have happened, it would make people wonder.

She was brought back to earth by Lacus's voice. "So where's Nikki? I thought she was going to bring you here."

Echo smiled. "She did, but she only dropped me here. She's busy for the rest of the day preparing for the battle, poor girl doesn't seem to have much time off in these types of circumstances."

Lacus nodded in acceptance. "Very well then, I can understand that. It can't be easy for her to run around like this preparing to fight. I can only imagine just how exhausted she must be feeling."

Echo whole-heartedly agreed. "She did seem rather tired when she came to my place, but I could see she was trying to hide it."

The pink haired girl sighed. "She always tends to do that in times of war, she pushes herself to her limit to the point of exhaustion. I'll be grateful when this fight is over, then she'll finally have the peace she deserves. She's been through far too much, I'm happy she has Kai beside her. Can you imagine what she would be like if she hadn't met him?"

Echo gave that some thought for a moment. "Probably how I knew her back in school, she was mainly on autopilot and was only happy when she really wanted to be. Otherwise she'd just have a bored or blank look on her face, or she'd get angry if something annoyed her. That's how she would be if Kai hadn't come into her life."

Lacus gazed at her in wonder. "I see…then she must really be in love with him then."

Echo nodded. "Oh she is, believe me I've seen the proof with my own eyes." Her mind wondered back to earlier that day when Nikki and Kai were sitting on her couch and gazing into each other's eyes, completely oblivious to everything around them.

Lacus placed her hand on Echo's shoulder, causing the other girl to look at her. "Why don't you go and get some rest? You'll need it, especially with what I hear Nikki has in store for you."

Echo twiddled her fingers. "But I don't know where my room is."

Lacus laughed. "Oh I'm so sorry! You're in room 26, just a few doors down from Nikki. She's in room 21."

Echo grinned. "Thanks! I should be able to find it then." She put her hand out. "Well it was a pleasure meeting you Lacus, Nikki's lucky to have a sister like you."

Said sister smiled and took offered hand. "It was my pleasure also, always glad to help. Well I'm lucky to have a sister like her."

Echo smiled. "I'll be sure to tell her that for you, have a good night Lacus." She saluted her out of respect, before turning and walking out the door, the Chairwoman smiling softly at her retreating figure.

Meanwhile in room 21, Nikki sat on the bed with her laptop, patiently waiting for her boyfriend who was currently in the bathroom. Kai had finished his shower and was now in the middle of getting dressed, she was amazed that he had taken so long. She was waiting for him to come out so she could also quickly freshen herself up, so she took the time to look over some data on a file she had saved. According to several sources, she already knew what formation the enemy army was positioned in. So knowing that, she was already thinking of more strategies, ideas flowing through her mind at hundreds of miles.

Her concentration was broken when the door to the bathroom opened and a freshly clean Kai came out. As always he was shirtless but Nikki was used to this by now, although she still couldn't help the slight blush that crossed her face whenever she saw his toned chest.

Kai grinned at her crimson face. "Glad I have that effect on you."

She huffed, although the redness on her cheeks remained. She strode past him towards the bathroom, but before she could get too far, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him. He smiled softly at her. "Hey come on, you know I love you right?"

She looked away, the glowing red still eminent on her face. Damn him for being so irresistible, and why the hell couldn't she stop blushing? She should be used to this kind of behaviour from him by now!

She was surprised when instead of pursuing his flirtatious behaviour; he loosened his grip and gently turned her around to face him. Confused by his sudden change of attitude, she lifted her head to stare at him. His eyes were full of emotion, but also with nervous hesitation.

Nikki tilted her head curiously. "Kai? Are you ok?"

Kai averted his eyes slightly; whatever he was about to say he decided to hold in at the last minute.

He let his arms drop from her waist and turned away, "I'm fine, feel free to use the shower."

She knew something was bothering him, so she gently grabbed his wrist and turned him to face her. Seeing he was trying to avoid eye contact, she reached up and gently pulled his face back to look at her. When their eyes met, she saw nothing but uncertainty staring back at her.

Her eyes softened in concern. "Kai…sweetie what's wrong? Talk to me."

Kai gently pulled out of her grip and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine Nikki, I'm just tired from all this planning that's all…look I'm going to get my part of the army ready, I received word that Jason and Jenny were back with recruits from the PLANTS…so uh, I'll see you later." Giving her a quick kiss, he quickly pulled a shirt on and strode out the door.

Nikki was beyond confused; Kai had never behaved that way before. One moment he was his usual charming self, the next he wouldn't look at her and was acting withdrawn. She shook her head; whatever was bothering him she knew he would confide in her eventually. But right now she needed to focus; she had less than forty-eight hours to bring everything together. Grabbing some clothes she walked into the bathroom for her shower, her mind filled with battle strategies and about what in the world could be bothering her boyfriend.

The boyfriend on her mind was at that moment leaning against the wall just outside their room. He was annoyed with his behaviour just a minute earlier, and hoped that he hadn't worried Nikki that much. Kai knew that with the way he was acting that she may be scared that he was planning a break up, but that was the furthest away from the truth. He was in fact planning on asking the exact opposite. He put his hand in his pocket to feel a soft jewellery box, but didn't take it out just in case his girlfriend unexpectedly came out. He sighed in frustration; how hard was it to propose to your long-term girlfriend? They had been together for three years and he knew that he loved her more than anything, and there was no doubt in his mind that she felt the same way. But then why was it so difficult? True it may not be the best time seeing as how they were about to go fight soon, but if he didn't do it now then he may regret it. Kai sighed again, torn apart by his conflicting thoughts.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Echo walk up next to him. Realizing that he hadn't seen her, she stared at him, waiting patiently. She had promised herself that she would talk to this boy, but didn't think she'd get the chance since him and Nikki seemed to be inseparable. So she was on her way to their room to ask for a private word, and couldn't believe her luck when she saw the very person she needed near their door all by himself, no girlfriend in sight.

From his expression she could tell something was bothering him. But she didn't have any other better time so she decided to make her presence known.

"And what might you be pondering, 'Mr Perfect Boyfriend?'

The sudden question startled Kai; he turned his head to the side to see Echo smiling innocently at him. He raised an eyebrow. "Mr Perfect Boyfriend?"

She grinned at him. "There must be some reason Nikki is so infatuated with you."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Did you come here just to tell me that?"

Echo folded her arms. "As a matter of fact no, I came to ask you a question."

He stared at her. "Me? I thought you'd be here to see Nikki."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What am I not allowed to talk to you?"

He put his hands up in surrender. "Fine, whatever, so what is it you wanted to ask me?"

Echo placed her hands behind her back and leant forward to peer at him. Kai felt himself starting to sweat from her leering gaze and decided to himself to never make this girl angry.

"I was wondering when you were planning on proposing to Nikki."

Kai's jaw dropped. How did she know he was planning to propose? He wasn't _that_ easy to read was he?

Echo laughed at his expression. "Don't have to look so shocked, if you're actually going to or not I have no idea. But I _do _know that Nikki is not going to wait forever, so I am here to tell you to hurry up."

Kai let out a breath he wasn't aware that he was holding. Ok so she was just pushing him along, but did he want to tell her that he already had a ring? He shrugged to himself; it didn't matter either way, this girl was just going to keep badgering him about it no matter how prepared he was. Making up his mind he pulled the box out of his pocket and gave it to Echo.

Echo was surprised to see him pull out a jewellery box, so he was planning to propose! She couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face; Nikki was going to get the surprise of her life. She then noticed that Kai had the box held out in front of him and realized it was an indication for her to take it. She yanked it from his hands, although she opened it gently. Inside was what she thought was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

It was a white gold band with small diamonds set into the rings ridges. Sitting in the centre was a trillion-cut blue topaz diamond that seemed to glitter with just the slightest movement.

Echo gawked open mouthed at the piece of jewellery. She could understand why girls would want to get married if they could wear beautiful rings such as this. With wide eyes she looked back at Kai, who was giving her a nervous and sheepish grin.

"So…do you think she'll like it?"

Echo stared incredulously at him. "What kind of stupid question is that? Of course she'll like it!"

Kai shrugged modestly. "Well I don't know much about jewellery so I just picked one I thought would look nice on her finger."

Echo barely restrained herself from bursting out laughing. "You men are so sad and clueless." She held the ring up close to his face. "If you are stupid enough to not see just how stunning this ring is then I do have to wonder what Nikki sees in you."

Kai just chuckled "She sees more than a hopeless guy that is clueless shopping for stuff that's for sure; otherwise she would've dumped me a long time ago."

She grinned. "Well at least you admitted it, but I do have to ask though…" When he raised an eyebrow she continued. "How much did it cost you?"

He sheepishly grinned. "Ten thousand"

Echo's jaw just about hit the ground. "Where in the world did you get that money?"

Kai smiled. "Nikki and Lacus's family are rich, and they inherited their parents' life insurance when they died. So they're pretty much loaded"

Echo glared at him. "So you used Nikki's money behind her back?" She couldn't believe the nerve of this guy!

He just chuckled. "Of course not, I wouldn't do that to Nikki…I asked Lacus to help me out."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Oh I see, you asked Lacus for help. Oh man and how did she react when you told her you were proposing?"

Kai laughed. "What do you think? She paid the whole ten thousand for me; I owe that girl big time."

Echo grinned. "Man I'm liking this Lacus more and more, she sure is charitable."

She then realized she was still holding the ring, so she closed the box and handed it back to Kai. "You better take this back before Nikki gets the wrong idea."

Kai chuckled before taking the box and slipping it back into his pocket. After making sure it was secure, he turned back to Echo. "So when do you think I should ask her?"

Echo thought for a moment before answering. "Depends, when's the invasion?"

Kai shrugged. "Morning after tomorrow I think, I'm not too sure. Nikki has all the data and information on her computer."

She nodded. "Then it's settled then, ask her tonight."

He gave her a confused look. "Why tonight?"

She grinned. "Because if you do it tonight, then you'll have an extra day to be with your 'fiancé' before the battle. And also, the promise of getting married will give Nikki the strength to come back alive."

Kai thought about that for a moment, she definitely made a point there. But he didn't want that to be the only reason that he would ask her, he had been meaning to propose for a while but had never found the perfect opportunity. But Echo certainly had a good point; it would be their last day together before a battle that would take who knows how long. Echo's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"The only question is when or where?"

He grinned. "Oh I already know the where, that's one part I'm quite confident about."

Echo raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? And where is the magical scene going to take place?"

Kai's grin then turned into a soft dreamy smile. "A park a little ways from here, it holds a lot of memories for the two of us."

Echo nodded. "Sounds perfect then, may I ask what kind of memories?"

She watched as his eyes glazed over, the soft smile growing. "It was the place where we confessed our love to each other and when I officially asked her to be my girlfriend. So I thought it would be significant if I asked her in the same place to be my wife." He turned to the younger girl with a grin. "Good enough?"

She grinned widely at him. "Perfect! Guess you're not so useless after all you sly dog!"

The two of them laughed loudly at her comment, not noticing the door to Kai and Nikki's room open. The latter stepped out and instantly stopped in her tracks when she spotted the two laughing friends. She raised a suspicious eyebrow; what in the world was going on?

"Kai, I thought you said you were going to recruit soldiers."

Both of them jumped at her voice and turned to face her. Kai nervously scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Yeah I was, but I needed Echo's help with something first. I just happen to meet her out here so we got talking."

This just raised her suspicion even more. "Oh I see, so then why were you laughing?"

Echo stepped forward. "Kai just said something stupid."

Kai sent her a playful glare. "Thanks a lot." She just gave him a cheeky grin.

Shaking his head he turned back to his girlfriend. "Actually Nikki, I was wondering something."

Nikki looked at him and raised a curious eyebrow. "And what is that?"

He smiled at her. "May I ask for some of your time tonight? I'll be perfectly content to wait until you're finished with everything else."

She smiled back. "Was that your smooth way of asking me out on a date?"

He chuckled. "Did it work?"

She laughed. "I guess so, when and where?"

Kai looked at his watch. "Tell you what, why don't you call me when you're done with your preparations? Then I'll tell you where to go. Fair enough?"

Nikki nodded, then grinned. "Sounds good enough for me, but I really need to get going. I have juvenile soldiers to train."

It was then that Kai and Echo noticed her clothes; she was wearing her white Zaft Commander Uniform, her FAITH badge clipped on the front.

Nikki noticed their stares on her uniform. "Oh I need to keep up a professional appearance if I want to live up to my name." She sighed. "All these rumours go around about me, so I don't want to make a liar out of myself."

Kai smiled at her. "You won't have any trouble with that, those rumours are nothing except for how great you are and that can't be any truer."

Nikki stuck her tongue out at him. "You're such a smooth talker sometimes."

Kai laughed. "And you love that about me."

She smiled. "Well as much as I'd love to keep flirting…" She winked as she said this. "I have an army waiting for me." She leaned up to give him a soft chaste kiss. "I'll be seeing you tonight then."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you then."

She gave him and Echo one last smile before hurrying down the hall and out of sight. Once she has left, Echo turned to Kai. "Am I visible again now?"

Kai laughed. "Sorry about that, you know we don't intentionally shut people out. We just get a little carried away sometimes."

Echo stared at him. "A _little _carried away? Must I remind you what you and Nikki were doing on my couch earlier today? I'm never sitting on that piece of furniture ever again!"

By this time Kai was in hysterics, which caused Echo to glare at him. "It's not funny!

He put his hands up in surrender, although was still slightly chuckling. "Alright, I'm sorry." He then looked at his watch and sighed. "Well I guess I better get going. I have my part of the army to prepare as well."

Echo sighed. "What am I supposed to do?"

He shrugged. "Go make something that could be of use in the battle, I know you're good at that."

She clapped her hands together. "I know! I have an idea!" She turned and starting running back to her room, waving her hand back to Kai. "I'll see you sometime later!"

Kai absentmindedly waved back startled by her outburst. He then shrugged, figuring he would find out what she would build later. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he started making his way to the large hall where his army portion was waiting. His footsteps sounded through the corridors as he walked quickly, his mind focused on only one thing…whether or not Nikki would say yes.

Meanwhile in the hanger, Jason and Jenny had finally returned from the PLANTS. The hundreds of soldiers they had recruited were scheduled to arrive a few hours after them, so they travelled ahead of them to prepare for their army's arrival. One soldier, however, had travelled back with them. Khris Anderson, whom they had met on the colony, came back to earth with them, although he was forced to follow in a separate machine. The boy was constantly talking about the honour of meeting 'Commander Clyne' so Jason switched off all communications so they wouldn't have to endure his excited, yet annoying, jabbering, which rewarded him and his girlfriend a quiet journey back to earth.

But now as Jason secured the Independence, he dreaded having to once again face the frisky teen. So him and Jenny sat in the cockpit, enjoying their time alone before meeting Khris.

Jason slumped in his chair while Jenny, who was sitting in his lap, smiled at him in amusement. "Relax Jason, we only have to do this one little assignment and then he'll be out of our hands."

Her boyfriend sighed. "I really don't want to do this."

She shrugged. "Well alright, let's let him wonder around and get lost, or better yet, get arrested."

Jason laughed. "Now that would be entertaining, but then again…. if Nikki found out."

Jenny shivered. "I don't want to think about her getting angry, so let's just get this over and done with."

Giving one more exasperated sigh, Jason opened the cockpit. When they climbed out, they looked down to see Khris anxiously, but patiently, waiting for them at the hanger doors. Holding his girlfriend to him, Jason hoisted them down. Once they were on the ground, they silently made their way over to the fidgeting soldier. He instantly saluted when they approached him, although he didn't address them, which Jason hoped was a sign that he was starting to loosen up.

After quickly saluting him back, Jason led them back through the two hangers, entering into this main building. The walk through the halls was silent, but that quickly changed when Jason suddenly halted in his tracks, his stare directed in front of him. The two behind him followed his line of sight to see Kai walking towards them. He appeared to be deep in thought so he didn't seem to notice his friends.

Jason grinned at his best friend. "Hey there mate!"

Kai's head jerked up in surprise, but he smiled when he saw who it was. "Jason! Jenny! Welcome back."

Jason nodded. "Thanks, how's it been going around here?"

Kai shrugged. "Getting there, Nikki's making final preparations, so we should have everything done by the morning."

Jason grinned. "That's great! That'll give us an extra day to relax!"

Jenny rolled her eyes before stepping forward. "Where is Nikki by the way? We have something we need to discuss with her."

Kai pointed behind him. "With her 'army' in the training arena, she wants everything to be in order."

It was then Kai noticed the young soldier half hiding behind Jenny. He threw a questioning look to Jason who grinned before turning and gesturing to the teen to come to him.

Khris timidly made his way over to Jason and…Kai wasn't it? He wasn't sure why, but for some reason this man scared him. Sure he was a lot taller, but he just had this gut wrenching feeling that he was important, and he also had this feeling he had seen him before. He already knew he was best friends with Jason, but sensed there was something else. His feelings were confirmed when the blonde commander introduced them.

"Kai, this is Khris Anderson, we've hired him from the colony for a special assignment." When Kai nodded politely, he turned back to Khris. "Khris, this is Kai Rodgericks, he's the Captain of the main Murasame squad of the Orb union." A smirk then appeared on Jason's face, making the young teen nervous. "He's also Nikki's long-term boyfriend."

Khris's eyes grew extremely round. So that's why he felt so nervous around this guy! He was Commander Clyne's boyfriend! The knots in his stomach suddenly intensified and he hastily saluted the Captain he was facing. "S-Sir! It's an honour to meet you sir!"

Kai stared in astonishment and amusement at the timid boy. "It's nice to meet you too Khris, but there's no need for you to speak like that. I'm not one for formalities so just treat me like I'm a normal friend of yours, alright?"

Khris lowered his hand, surprised by the friendliness of the older teen. He could see why the Commander would fall for someone like him; he had all the perfect qualities in him that any girl would love. The young soldier felt rather envious of the Captain, he had the love and trust of someone he had been dying to meet his whole life, not to mention she was one of the most attractive women known to society.

Resisting the urge to salute him once again, he spoke with a shaky voice. "Um...Yes sir-I mean...Ok Kai."

Kai shot him a grin before turning back to the couple. "So what is his 'special assignment?"

Jason gave a straight answer. "He's going to be working for Nikki."

Kai's eyebrows shot up. "I see... anything specific he'll be doing?"

Jason grinned. "He's going to be doing some surveillance for us, which includes some spying and blending with the crowd. I can't reveal too much though, Nikki's the person that's entitled to know all the details since she's the one he'll be working for."

Kai nodded in understanding. "Fair enough," he grinned, "Not like I can't find out from her myself, we do sleep in the same room."

Jason groaned. "Spare me the details please." This comment brought a chuckle from his friend.

Kai looked at his watch and sighed. "Damn, I'm late; look I have to get going. If you want to catch up with Nikki then you better hurry, I have plans with her tonight." He turned to Khris and nodded at him. "Nice meeting you." Then casually waving to his other friends, he hurried past them before disappearing around a corner.

Once he was gone, Jason turned to his girlfriend and the young teen. "Well, we better hurry and find Nikki then, since it seems her and Kai have a date tonight." He rolled his eyes as he said this.

Jenny giggled. "Oh give them a break; it's been a while since the two of them have had a date just to themselves."

Jason snorted. "They had one in the park earlier."

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes but if you remember, we interrupted them, which I don't think Nikki was very happy about."

He shivered. "They still blatantly made out in front of us."

Jenny playfully slapped his arm. "Oh just drop it, come on we have to catch Nikki before she goes out."

Grabbing his arm, she dragged him down the hall, with Khris, who was silent during their banter, quietly following them.

After a few minutes of wondering, they came to a big double door. Jason pushed open one side and the three filed in. Walking in, they saw what had to be fifty to a hundred men and women doing exercise drills. One half was practising piloting skills on simulators, while the others were alternating between doing laps around the hall and push-ups on the ground; the soldiers were clearly being pushed to their limit.

Looking around, they spotted Nikki standing in a far corner, arms folded and intently watching the young trainees with a steely gaze. Completely aloof to her hard expression, Jason lightly walked over to the Commander.

"Oi Nikki!"

Said brunette whipped her head their direction, scowling when she saw who it was. She was oblivious to the young teen behind him, who was gawking openly at her. "Jason, what the hell are you doing here? Can't you see I'm busy?"

He grinned at her. "Gee it's nice to see you too."

She glared at him. "If you just came here to be annoying then you can leave, I'm not wasting any time."

Jason put his hands up. "Alright fine, I did come here to discuss something with you."

Nikki sighed. "This better be important Jason."

Jason nodded. "I assure you it is." He turned to the visibly shaking soldier behind him. "Khris, come here mate."

Nikki watched with a raised eyebrow as a boy, who appeared a few years younger than her, stepped forward. She noticed he appeared rather nervous, so she decided she would be polite so she wouldn't scare him.

When meeting Kai, Khris didn't think the knots in his stomach could get any worse. But now as he stood in front of the brunette Commander, they twisted so much his stomach was beginning to hurt, but he was determined to prove himself to her.

Mustering up his courage, he squared his shoulder, and saluted her. "Ma'am! It is an honour and pleasure to finally meet you!"

Much like Kai, Nikki was rather amused; she wasn't much for formalities either. But when someone showed this much respect, she in turn held a lot of respect for them.

Giving him a slight smile, she returned his gesture, although in a more casual way. "Thank you...Khris was it?" He nodded. "Well Khris, why don't you loosen up a little and we'll introduce each other probably."

His eyes widened when she offered him her hand. He looked up to see her smiling at him. "Nice to meet you Khris, I'm Nikki Clyne, but you can just call me Nikki."

He placed his hands in hers, relishing in this one moment he's always dreamed of. "Khris Anderson, nice to meet you too Nikki," he was amazed by the calmness of his own voice, since his insides were feeling quite the opposite.

Giving him another polite nod, she gently pulled her hand away and faced her two friends. "So...there must be a reason you brought this fine young man to me." Said young man blushed at her compliment.

Jenny nodded. "There is, we hired him to work for you."

Nikki raised her eyebrows. "And you didn't think about asking me before recruiting random soldiers for me?"

Jenny waved her hands. "This isn't random Nikki; we think he could be of good use."

Nikki stared at her. "What kind of good use?"

Jason took over. "Because he only just recently enlisted, he's still in some ways just a normal kid. So we thought he could blend as a civilian and do some spy work for us."

Nikki folded her arms. "I already have several soldiers out being spies, I don't need another one."

Jason sighed impatiently. "But he's different! He can hide in plain sight! They wouldn't even give him any more than a sideways glance because he would look like an ordinary teenager."

Nikki thought about that for a moment. "And what about locating him?"

This was the question Jason was waiting for. "We can place him in certain areas that will give him a good visual on sighting the enemy, so he can alert us when they're approaching."

Nikki had to admit that she was folding to this idea. All other spies she had hired had to stay in hiding to prevent suspicion. But with Khris out there, no one would be any the wiser, especially to a young sixteen year old boy.

She looked at Jason with her mind made up. "Alright, I'll hire him." She smiled at Khris. "Welcome aboard."

Khris couldn't believe it… she hired him! He was now officially working for Commander Clyne. He grinned, unable to contain his excitement. "Thank you, Nikki! I promise I won't let you down!"

She grinned back, finding his enthusiasm entertaining. She then remembered that she promised Kai the rest of her evening, and looking outside, noticed it was already dark.

She turned back to her friends. "Jason, just for tonight he'll be under your supervision."

Jason's jaw hit the floor. "What? Come on man!"

Nikki rolled her eyes. "You don't have to baby-sit him, just show him to a spare room. Then you can have your free time with Jenny."

Jason sighed while Jenny giggled. The redhead turned to her friend. "You go ahead Nikki; we'll wrap things up for you." She gestured to the soldiers that were training.

The brunette stared at her best friend. "Are you sure? You guys have had a long trip."

Jenny nodded. "It's fine, we don't want to keep you from a date with Kai." She grinned when her friend blushed.

Nikki flushed. "How the heck do you two know that's what I'm doing?"

Jenny shrugged. "We ran into Kai on the way here, he happened to slip that he had plans with you tonight."

Nikki sighed. "As much as I love the guy, I'd like these things to stay confidential."

Jason raised an eyebrow at her. "Why would you want it to be private?"

Nikki glared at him. "So _certain_ people don't interrupt us again!"

The blonde yelped and hid behind his girlfriend, who just rolled her eyes. "Honestly Jason, get a backbone."

Nikki glanced down at her watch. "I guess I better let Kai know I'm finished."

Jenny looked at her. "Aren't you going to get changed? You're still in your uniform."

Nikki rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm going to get changed." She then hugged her friend. "I'll see you later." Glaring once more at Jason, and smiling politely at Khris, she quickly strode to the large doors and walked out.

After she left, Jason peered out from behind his girlfriend. "Is she gone?"

Jenny sighed. "Yes Jason she's gone."

He stood up straight, letting out a breath of relief. "Damn, the older she gets, the more terrifying she is."

Jenny chuckled. "You know she's only mean to _**you**_ right?"

Jason grinned. "Yeah I know, and it's so much fun."

Jenny rolled her eyes before turning and making her way towards the trainees. "Honestly, you've given yourself a death wish."

Jason just smirked and followed his girlfriend with Khris behind them. The young teen felt a lot more relaxed now that he had met Nikki. Some of the rumours he had heard were people saying that she was an impatient and brutal Commander, which, in his opinion, couldn't be any further from the truth. She was one of the kindest people he had ever met and he was very much looking forward to working for her. But he could also see where those nasty rumours came from; the way she had glared at Jason earlier had sent shivers down his spine. So he agreed with himself that he would follow orders without question to prevent having her stare at him like that. But all around, it was rather entertaining. He couldn't wait to get to know Nikki and her friends better, and hoped the maybe one day; he could become a part of their close friendship.

End of Chapter

Nikki: -grins- Gee Jason you turn into such a wuss whenever I get angry

_**Jason: Can you blame me? You're bloody terrifying when you're pissed off!**_

_**Well then stop trying to piss her off all the time then.**_

_**Jason: Well… I can't help it! As scary as it is it's friggin hilarious to watch her explode!**_

_**Nikki: DON'T PUSH IT!**_

_**Jason: Eek! –backs away- Chill I was just kidding!**_

_**Nikki: Like hell you were! Do you know how many times I wanna beat the living crap out of you?**_

_**Jason: Um…lots?**_

_**Nikki: RRAAAHH! –chases after him-**_

_**Jason: Oh crap! –bolts out of room-**_

_**Nikki: GET BACK HERE!**_

_**-Watches with sweat drop- Wow…she sure has a short fuse…**_

_**Kai: I'd stop her but sometimes I feel Jason deserves it**_

_**-Grins- can't argue with that…where's Echo?**_

_**Kai: -shrugs- probably working on some invention again…you know what she's like. So did you pay for the door?**_

_**-Sighs- yeah I've got someone coming around to fix it…stupid explosives…stupid echo and her mechanical expertise…**_

_**Kai: Um…should we preview the next chapter now?**_

_**-Grumbles- yeah sure whatever…see you all next time…**_

_**Kai: Man what's with everyone today?**_

_Kai watched his girlfriend, using this last moment to muster courage. If he was brave enough to confess all of that to her, then how hard can it be to ask one simple question? Taking a deep breathe, he let instinct take over before the two lovers heard him speak the words they had both been waiting for since the day they had fallen in love._

_Nikki Clyne…Will you marry me?"_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – The Calm Before The Storm

**D8 kehsihgsabgoiaghioah Omgawsh it's been so long since I've updated! Hey you lot! Let's get this on the road! MUSH MUSH!**

**Jason: DUDE! We're not dogs!**

**Nikki: Shut up Jason, don't talk to her like that when she's under pressure.**

**Echo: -sipping hot chocolate- Let's all sit down and enjoy a cuppa**

**HEY! This isn't the time to sit around and slack off! SOMEONE START THE CHAPTER!**

**Nikki: WE WILL! CHILL!**

**Don't talk back to me SLAVE!**

**Nikki: I'M NOT YOUR SLAVE!**

**Jason: Where the hell is Jenny? –wanders off- JEEENNNYYYY**

**Kai: -walks in- Uh oh…stressed out author again…we better get this started then. Ever-**

**Echo: Everyone enjoy! -waves casually-**

**Kai: Hey…that was my line….**

Upon entering her room, Nikki didn't waste any time getting ready. She stripped off her uniform, and looked through her clothes. She wanted to look decent for Kai tonight, feeling that this wasn't going to be an ordinary date. She wasn't sure why, but she had this feeling that something big was going to happen. Thinking back to earlier when her boyfriend was acting distant, she felt a sense of dread creep into her. 'He wasn't going to break up with her was he?' She shook her head, ridding those doubts from her mind. She finally decided on her best pair of jeans, and a long sleeve blue top, the all round outfit bringing out her bright blue eyes.

Checking her watch, which read seven pm, she grabbed her phone and dialed Kai's number. A few rings later, she heard her boyfriends' voice. "_Hey Nikki_."

She smiled. "Hey, I'm all ready for tonight."

"_Great! Come and meet me at the park."_

She raised an eyebrow. "Why the park? Where are you?"

"_You'll just have to see, and I'm there right now, I've been waiting for you."_

Her eyes widened. "Oh! Ok! I'm on my way now!"

Kai chuckled. _"Relax, there's no hurry, but I'll see you when you get here. Love you!"_

She smiled softly. "Alright, I'll see you soon. Love you too. Bye.

She ended the call and for a moment gazed softly at her phone. He had so much patience, how long had he been waiting there for her? Well she wasn't going to make him wait any longer, so grabbing her bag (shoulder bag, not one of those girly purses), she walked out of the room, looking forward to her time with her boyfriend.

She walked quickly down the halls; her strides long but quiet. She was slightly nervous about the date, but she had no idea why. She and Kai had gone out on dates a countless number of times, yet there was something about tonight that made her slightly apprehensive. She was so caught up in her thoughts; she didn't notice Khris walking just as quickly towards her, who had his head down in deep thought. The two collided, both staggering backwards in surprise. Nikki smiled bemusedly when she saw the young soldier. Khris, however, had frozen in horror like he had just committed a serious crime. "Comma-I mean Nikki! I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention! I-

Nikki put her hand up. "It's perfectly alright Khris; I'm to blame as well. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. But as much as I'd love to chat, I'm in a bit of a hurry." She patted him on the shoulder as she passed him. "See you later alright?"

He nodded, suddenly incapable of speech. While it was surprising enough that she had in turn apologized to him, he had just noticed how she was dressed. He had never seen any of his commanding officers dressed casually. And he just happen to run into Nikki dressed in a top and jeans that showed her curves so nicely; he couldn't help the blush that appeared on his face. Shaking his head, he continued down the hall, a beautiful brunette Commander lingering in his mind.

Nikki hurried down the sidewalk, her eyes averting rapidly from side to side. Even though there was still another day before the battle, she still kept her guard up. They'd never know if someone was there watching their every move, so she made sure to be aware of her surroundings in case something happened.

Turning a final corner, she finally entered the park, and halted in her tracks, her eyes widening at the sight before her. Kai was leaning against a tree, waiting patiently. A picnic basket sitting on a blanket was at his feet, plates and glasses already set up. The most stunning sight, however, was the beauty covering the nature that surrounded her. Small white lights lit up the grass and tree near the picnic, giving everything around them a soft glow. She noticed they made up a walkway for her to walk down, the path ending where her boyfriend was standing.

She stood there in astonishment at this magnificent view. In all the years she had been with him, he had never set up a date as romantic as this. This just convinced her even more that he had something big planned. With a soft smile, she walked down the aisle of sparkling lights. Although she found everything beautiful, she fixed her gaze on the young man waiting for her at the end.

Kai heard someone walking towards him and turned his head to see his girlfriend making her way down the bright walkway, the lights making her hair and skin shine in the moonlight; he found himself hypnotized by her beauty. Lifting his eyes up, his gaze met hers and he smiled gently at her, his love for her swelling when she smiled back at him. He held his arms out in wordless greeting, and she willingly walked into his inviting embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. They stayed in that position for a few minutes, happy to just be with each other. But Kai remembered the reason he had asked her to meet him, so he gently pulled away to look at her. She gazed up at him, the reflection of the lights around them reflecting from her eyes. He once again found himself lost, gazing into her blue orbs. He had always found them captivating, and if he could, would stare into their depths forever. He reluctantly broke his trance, his mind returning to the task at hand, and stared lovingly at his girlfriend

"Glad you could make it." He whispered

She returned his loving gaze and smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

He smiled back at her and then lifting his hand, gestured to the scene before them. "So what do you think?"

She gazed in wonder around her. "It's absolutely beautiful, how in the world did you set all this up so fast?"

He gave her a mysterious smile. "Ah, I will reveal that later, but now, shall we?" He once again gestured with his hand, this time to the food at their feet.

Nikki's eyes sparkled. "Yes, please. I'm starving!"

Kai chuckled. "Alright then,"

Nikki made herself comfortable on the blanket, her boyfriend sitting behind her. For the next half hour, they enjoyed the meal, now and then feeding each other. At one point, Nikki playfully held a grape close to Kai's mouth, and then quickly popped it into her own mouth. Kai had grabbed her waist and tickled her as punishment for teasing him. His heart soared at the sound of her laughter, thinking to himself how much he loved to hear such happiness come from her, happiness that he knew she deserved.

After their fun and they had filled themselves to their stomach's content, Kai realized that it was now or never. Doing his best to ignore the knots in his stomach, he turned to Nikki who, oblivious to her boyfriends' nervous state, was contently leaning against him. "Say Nikki?"

She looked up at him. "Yes Kai?

He smiled. "Do you think you can reach into the basket?"

She raised an eyebrow "Why, what's in there?"

He grinned. "Just a little something else for tonight."

She stared suspiciously at him for a moment, before shrugging and reaching for the basket, curious about what else her boyfriend had planned. Opening the lid, she peered inside, expecting more food for the picnic. Instead, a small velvet box stared up at her from the quiet corner of the basket. Nikki felt her body freeze as all air left her body, 'is that what she thought it was?' With a shaky hand, she picked up the box and stared at it, her over analyzing mind jumping back and forth to different conclusions about what this might mean. She turned to ask Kai what was going on, only to find him on one knee in front of her; her eyes widened as she finally realized what tonight had been all about.

Kai sheepishly smiled. "Do you think you could stand?"

Despite her shock, she couldn't help but chuckle. Still clutching the ring, she slowly rose to her feet, her stare fixated on her boyfriend. Once she was standing, he gently took the box from her and began speaking.

"Nikki, you know I've loved you ever since I laid eyes on you, and I know how cheesy and cliché that sounds." Nikki laughed. "But it's true…you've turned my life around and I just can't picture it without you." He paused for a moment, before pressing on. "When I was a boy, I made a promise to my father. He told me that one day I would meet someone that would change my life, and until I met that someone, I should save myself and all my love and devotion for her. At the time I had no idea what he was talking about, but the older I became the more I understood. For years I searched for the one girl that would make me happy, but to no avail. For a long time I was lost, feeling like I had no hope left of finding anyone…until the day I met you." By this point he was struggling with his emotions. So he looked towards the ground to attempt to control the lump forming in his throat. A hand touching the side of his head caused him to look up and he saw that he wasn't alone with what he was feeling; Nikki eyes, full of love and understanding, were urging him to continue, tears gathering and threatening to fall. Her hopeful gaze gave him the strength to keep going, so swallowing slightly he resumed speaking, "From the very instant I saw you, I knew immediately that there was something different and unique about you… I just couldn't help but fall in love, and the longer I knew you, the stronger the feeling became. And when we finally confessed our love to each other, I knew that I had made the right decision and that you were the other half of myself that I had been searching for my entire life." Finally satisfied with his speech, he lifted the box and opened it, revealing the sparkling ring inside. Nikki, who had been rather overwhelmed by his rather long and heartfelt confession, gasped loudly when she saw the most breathtaking and beautiful ring.

After gazing for a moment at the shimmering diamond, she turned her attention back to Kai who, giving her a gentle smile, took a deep breathe before speaking final words

"The moment I saw this ring, I immediately thought of you. The beauty and light that reflect from it are what I see each time I look into your eyes, and each time it sends me into a trance, telling me all the more just how beautiful you are."

Tears were now pouring down Nikki's faces, unable to be held back by the feeling of love and joy that were bursting from her heart. She kept her stare on him, waiting for that one question she knew that would change her life forever.

Kai watched his girlfriend, using this last moment to muster courage. If he was brave enough to confess all of that to her, then how hard can it be to ask one simple question? Taking a deep breathe, he let instinct take over before the two lovers heard him speak the words they had both been waiting for since the day they had fallen in love.

Nikki Clyne…Will you marry me?"

Nikki was barely able to choke back a sob; this was it…this was the feeling she had earlier. And hearing him confess everything to her, she knew then that there was no doubt why he had gone to so much trouble tonight. She wondered just how long he was planning to propose to her, which immediately brought back the memory from earlier that day when he was acting strangely and she suddenly understood why he had been so hesitant and nervous. He had been trying to propose then, but must've backed out at the last minute, scared of her reaction. She laughed inwardly, there was no way she could ever refuse him, and there was no one else she would rather marry. The reminder of marriage brought her attention back to Kai, who was anxiously awaiting her answer with a nervous expression, and for a moment, Nikki thought she caught a glimpse of sadness and disappointment. Smiling reassuringly at him, she held out her left hand, before saying the one word that would bind them together forever.

"Yes."

After asking her to marry him, his girlfriend had gone quiet and for a moment Kai was scared that her silence was a rejection. But she had obviously noticed his distress and had given him a smile that had lifted his spirits instantly. And when that one word escaped her lips, he felt so much relief that for a split second he thought he would collapse from exhaustion; he had been terrified that she wouldn't want to marry him. He never thought that one single word would be able to make him so happy then right at that very moment.

Wearing a huge grin, Kai reached out and took her hand. Holding it gently, he slipped the ring on and brought her hand up to place a gentle kiss on her fingers. Nikki smiled gently at his soft gesture, unable to express just how happy she was feeling at the moment. She was finally engaged to the love of her life, and couldn't wait for the day they would be sealed together as husband and wife.

Looking down, she saw her new fiancé smiling at her, happiness and relief clearly showing in his eyes. Giving him a soft smile, she bent down to his level and gently took his face in her hands before leaning in to kiss him lovingly. The moment their lips met, Kai stood up to properly wrap his arms around her while Nikki stretched hers to wrap around his broad shoulders, neither of them breaking the kiss. In that one moment, their love for each other grew. Now that the promise of being bonded in matrimony was with them, their bond became all that more unbreakable, nothing would ever break them apart.

After a few minutes they parted, leaning back to gaze at each other. Kai brought his right hand up and placed it on her cheek, stroking her soft skin with his thumb. Nikki brought her hand back to grasp it, relishing in the soft touch that she loved so much. They simultaneously leaned in to touch foreheads, breathing in the others' scent and basking in the loving atmosphere that was flowing around them, all the while never breaking their gazes.

With only a lips distance between them, Nikki whispered. "This has been the best night ever."

Kai smiled. "I'm so glad; you have no idea how nervous I've been."

Nikki quietly giggled, tapping his nose with her finger. "You had no reason to be, did you honestly think I was going to say no to you?"

Kai chuckled. "Well I guess it's only natural, I mean marriage is a big step."

She nodded in agreement, a bright smile on her face. "That's very true, but I wouldn't want it any other way."

Her fiancé grinned. "And I've just become the happiest man in the world."

Nikki giggled at his cliché statement, leaning forward to gently brush her lips against his. "Not to mention more romantic, tonight has been just amazing."

Kai's softly smiled at her. "Well we're pretty much done; do you feel like heading back?"

His question was instantly answered when she let out a big yawn. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

He nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go then." He noticed her looking back at the picnic. "Don't worry about that, I've already organized for someone to take care of it."

Nikki turned back to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "You really did have this night planned out didn't you?"

He grinned modestly. "Well it was all for you, so I did my best to make it perfect."

She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed contently. "Well it _was_ perfect."

Kai noticed her voice was starting to sound sleepy, so giving her shoulder one last gentle squeeze, he lead them out of the park as all that was left of their romantic date was trees and grass blowing gently and soft lights shining into the night.

.

Meanwhile, outside of their room, Echo paced back and forth waiting for the two lovers to return from their date. Kai had told her all about his plans to propose, so that was why she was at that moment anxiously, and impatiently, getting ready to interrogate her two friends. She had noticed how nervous Kai had been about Nikki's answer, but she was more than confident that she would accept his proposal. She didn't normally think about romance much, but even she could tell that no one suited each other more than these two did, and she couldn't be any happier for her best friend.

She turned around to once again to continue her pacing, when the very couple on her thoughts appeared around a corner. She was about to loudly confront them, but the tired look on Nikki's face caused her to keep quiet. Seeing that they hadn't even noticed her yet, she scanned over the two, searching for any sign that Kai's thoroughly planned night was hopefully a success. Nikki arms were folded so she wasn't able to tell if she was wearing the ring or not. But judging from the contentment on Nikki's face and the loving gazes she was getting from her boyfriend, she guessed that their date had gone well.

Kai had spotted Echo at the corner of his eye the instant they turned that corner, but he was unable to turn his gaze away from his new fiancé. But he remembered that Echo didn't like to be ignored, so he reluctantly averted his gaze from Nikki to look at the younger girl. Nikki, who had been practically half asleep the whole way, smiled sleepily at her friend. Echo grinned at the pair, her eyes switching back and forth between the two, silently begging for some sort of news. Sensing her friends' desperation, Nikki turned to Kai, who stared quizzically at her.

She smiled at him, doing her best not to show just how tired she was. "You go in, I'll join you in a minute."

He gazed concernedly at her. "It's fine I can stay out here, you look exhausted Nikki."

She shook her head. "It won't take long." She leaned up to gently kiss him. "I'll just be a minute"

He reluctantly nodded, before turning and entering their room, closing the door behind him. The instant it was shut, Echo didn't waste any time pestering her friend. "So…. how did it go?"

Not wanting to keep her fiancé waiting, Nikki decided to just cut to the chase. Unfolding her arms, she held out her left hand to show the glittering topaz diamond sitting on her ring finger. The second she saw the ring, Echo squealed in delight, unable to hold back her excitement.

"I knew it! I knew you'd say yes!"

She grabbed Nikki arms and spun the two of them around in celebration, all the while laughing loudly. Nikki couldn't help but laugh as well, but all the spinning was making her head spin like a wheel. "Echo! I can barely see straight!"

Echo let go of her so rapidly that it sent Nikki staggering backwards slightly. Her younger friend immediately dashed forward to help her but she held up a hand. "I'm fine, I'm just tired that's all."

When her friend nodded she smiled. "Listen, if you like I'll tell you about everything when this is all over."

Echo smiled. "You have to promise you'll make it out alive, we have loads to catch up on."

Nikki grinned at her friend. "You've got yourself a deal, I've got too much to come back to." She lifted her hand towards her. "Both come back alive?"

Echo grabbed Nikki's hand in a firm hold and winked. "You got it."

Confirming their deal, they unclasped hands. Giving her best friend one last friendly squeeze on the shoulder, Nikki turned and walked into her room. Echo watched her friend with a concerned gaze. The fight that was approaching worried her. She didn't doubt that many lives would be lost, and it terrified her that her best friend would be right in the middle of it. She shook her head, no she wouldn't think like that, Nikki was a strong, capable pilot and she was sure she would end the conflict peacefully. With that reassuring thought, Echo made her way back to her own room to prepare herself for the inevitable battle.

Meanwhile in their room, Nikki was sitting on the edge of her bed staring blankly at her laptop screen. She was exhausted beyond anything after the days planning, but there was still one more person she needed help from, a person that was known for his intelligence and strategies on the battlefield. But no matter what she did there was always some level of interference, or someone with high skill intentionally blocking her. But she was determined to break through, she was a professional hacker herself and she was not going to let anyone stand in her way.

Kai, on the other hand, was sitting up in bed watching his fiancé. He was worried that this war was stressing her out more than she realized. He was hoping she would get some rest but she seemed more focused on contacting this mysterious soldier. Kai wondered what was so important about this guy that she would neglect her own health…sure she was protecting ORB but he still itched to know who this guy was. He was ripped from his thoughts when he heard Nikki sigh loudly.

He gingerly reached and put a hand on her shoulder. "You ok?"

Nikki groaned. "I've never failed to get through, why is this so hard?

Kai crawled over to her so he was sitting next to her on the bed. "These people are obviously highly trained Nikki, stopping people from getting through is probably their area of expertise."

She sighed. "I know…but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up, this country needs strong pilots, and he's the only definite person I can think of that can help us protect ORB."

Her fiancé smiled. "Then keep going, I know you have the ability to reach him.

Nikki smiled back at him. "Thanks."

With newly fresh determination, she turned back to her computer. Taking a deep breathe she closed her eyes and concentrated on what she knew, ignoring the waves of fatigue she was feeling. Then opening them again she started typing furiously on the keyboard, never taking her eyes away from the screen. This time she made progress, each block that flashed across the screen, she easily maneuvered her way around it. For almost an hour, Kai patiently watched her as her fingers danced over the keys. He was amazed how long she was holding on, he would've forfeited to these guys a while ago. He jumped when Nikki pumped her fist into the air.

"Got it! Ok now to just contact him."

He grinned, loving her enthusiasm. He continued watching as she pressed a few more keys then jabbed enter. For a moment there was silence and they both wondered if the last hour wasn't just wasted when suddenly a deep male voice spoke out.

"_I have to say Miss Clyne, I'm rather impressed. No one from the outside has been able to make contact with me before."_

Nikki smugly grinned. "Well I'll admit that your crew is a force to be reckoned with, I can tell they have been highly trained, but you'll have to do better than that do keep someone like me out."

The man chuckled. "_Good to know of your determination….now…what can I do for you? There must be some reason you've spent all this time trying to reach me."_

Nikki nodded, although the man could not see her. "Yes, it is. I am in a, shall we say, desperate situation. I don't normally resort to searching for someone that's in hiding, but this is of major importance. An entire country is at stake if we don't do something."

Her desperate plea grabbed his attention. _"Entire country? Are you saying that there's another war?"_

She sighed. "If we don't stop the army that will be invading, then yes, I'm afraid another full scale war will threaten to break out."

She heard him sigh. _"Why is this happening again? Why do these people insist on war continuing to wreck havoc on our lives?"_

Nikki leaned forward, carefully choosing her next words. "This is the reason I'm calling, we need the help of you and your men. This isn't just some ordinary fleet, this is a man out for revenge and he's brought together an army of soldiers with the same goal in their hearts. I am flying out to meet them tomorrow, so they can't spread their hatred around…. it would be an honor if you could join us."

There was silence again as Nikki's words lingered. The pilot had gone silent, supposedly pondering over her plea for help. She knew that for some personal reason he hid himself away and was apprehensive about his answer, but what if it wasn't enough? Would she have to try more means of persuasion? Several doubts swam through her mind making her head spin and begin to throb. Nikki grabbed her head between her hands in attempt to calm herself; this was not the time to over analyze things. She needed to stay calm and rational. A gentle, firm hand took hers and held it tightly. She turned to see Kai staring at her with concern; she smiled and shook her head, silently telling him she was fine.

Their heads snapped back to the computer when the pilot once again spoke. _"Very well Miss Clyne, you have my support."_

Nikki released a breathe of air she didn't realize she holding. "Thank you, I am so relieved, and please call me Nikki. I'm not a big fan of formalities."

"_Very well Nikki, and considering we are now comrades in arms and you're leading this operation. You are technically now my commanding officer."_

She smirked. "Yes that is true, but I won't let that restrict our acquaintance with each other. I want you to treat me like I am a casual friend you would run into on the street, alright?"

The pilot chuckled. _"I'm liking you more and more, this ought to be fun."_

Nikki laughed. "Well, first and foremost ill introduce you to others that will be helping as well. I have someone with me right now actually." She turned to Kai who was looking somewhat scared and hesitant but she ignored it. "Come on don't be shy, it's just a voice from a computer."

He mock glared at her. "That's beside the point."

She rolled her eyes. "You just have to introduce yourself, you don't have to say much."

His shoulders sunk in defeat. "Alright fine."

Grinning in victory, she shifted closer so that their shoulders pressed together, and then she once again turned to her new comrade. "This is Captain Kai Rodgericks of the Murasames."

Kai cleared his throat. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"_Pleasure to meet you as well Kai…but I must ask…you two sound like you're good or more than close friends."_

Nikki smiled, impressed with his observation. "We are actually, we're getting married."

She could almost see the pleased smile on the pilots face_. "Well, my congratulations to you both, the world needs more of what the two of you have, it's hard to come by these days."_

Kai nodded. "Thank you, we appreciate it. You're one of the first to know actually."

The pilot was surprised_. "Really? How long have you been engaged?"_

Nikki took over. "He just proposed earlier tonight, so only a few hours."

"_Aah newly engaged, well that's good to hear." _His tone then turned serious._ "Well it's been a pleasure to meet you both, but I need to know our rendezvous point and take my leave. This is a risky line to hold conversations, I have many hackers trying to break through."_

Nikki nodded in understanding. "Very well, first thing tomorrow report to ORB Headquarters as early as you can. I have no idea when in the day they will be arriving but I do know that the man leading them will not be wasting any time attacking the city, so we need to be prepared."

"_That I can do, I will be there at dawn with some fresh troops. I have only the most sufficient and highly trained soldiers here. That invading army will have a hard time cutting through us."_

Nikki smiled. "That's just what I want to hear…by the way, I didn't get your name."

"_I'll have to save that for when we meet in person, there are too many risks right now."_

She nodded. "Perfectly fine, I shall see you tomorrow. Thank you again for your help."

"_I do what I can, until tomorrow Nikki."_

The call abruptly ended before either of them could get another word in, but Nikki didn't mind too much. She had the help of both Echo and this mysterious pilot and for the first time since finding out about the invasion she felt confident. She knew they could win this, if she was going down, then she will take this bastard down with her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist. Instantly recognizing her fiancés gentle touch, she put the computer to one side before shifting back to lean up against his chest. She brought her arms up to rest on his and the two just sat in comfortable silence. There was no need for words; both were scared of the outcome of the following day and were just happy enjoying the time they had left together. Kai was reluctant about letting his love charge right into the midst of everything, but knew there wasn't anything he could do. The best he could do was trust her to be the brave woman he knew she was, as she led their armies out to meet their inevitable fate.

End of Chapter

**-sighs- aaaawwwww these cute lil moments between you two always make me feel all soft and fuzzy inside.**

**Nikki: -glares- Stop making it sound cheesier than it has to be**

**Kai: Calm down sweetie, you know how our author is. –puts arms around her-**

**Nikki: yeah I know – smiles at him and leans into hug-**

…**And that's my cue to leave, hey Echo wassup!**

**Echo: -typing on laptop- huh? Wassat?**

**-sighs- Dude everyones so caught up in their own lil damn world!**

**Jenny: -walks in- Hello everyone!**

**-pounces on her- JENNY! MY SAVIOUR! Pllleeaasseee keep me company! I'm surrounded by computer drones and so much mush its giving me cavities!**

**Jenny: -giggles- Sure I'll hang out, but don't you wanna show the preview first?**

**AH! Knew I was forgetting something! Here's the preview everyone! And we'll see you next time! Come on Jen let's go have some fun! –jumps in the air- WOOHOO!**

**Jenny: -laughs- Coming!**

Khris fell silent. Engagement party? When had the two of them gotten engaged? Last he checked they were only dating…that's what Jason had said anyway. But then he suddenly realized, when they had run into Kai into the hall the previous day, he had told them that he had plans with Nikki that night. He must have had a romantic dinner or something set up so he could propose to her. And since this Echo girl was taking him to their engagement party, then it was obvious that Nikki must've accepted his proposal. He didn't know why, but he felt incredibly jealous. Despite her being three or four years older, he had always been attracted to her and was hoping he'd someday have a chance to prove himself to her. But then this Kai guy just comes along and sweeps her off her feet. He shook his head sadly to himself, 'who was he kidding anyway? He was only a sixteen-year-old Rookie in training, and she was a full grown twenty year old Zaft Commander. Why would she be interested in a scrawny loser like him?


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Facing the Inevitable

**Welcome back everyone to another chapter! Yeeehaaww let's get this party star-**

**Nikki: Hold one a sec! Aren't you forgetting something?**

…**Am I? –tilts head-**

**Nikki: -sighs and facepalms- why do I bother?**

**Echo: She means your lil adventure with your best friend during Halloween. **

**Oh…OH YEAH! OMGAWSH I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT IN THE LAST CHAPTER! **

**Nikki: -puts fingers in ears- Yeah…we noticed…now stop yelling you're so friggin loud.**

**-ignores Nikki- I have the most fun time last week! I went down to my best friends house and dressed up as a zombie and scared the lil kiddies! BUHAHAHAHAHAHA! It was so much fun!**

**Kai: -just walked in-…What?...Zombie?...Huh?**

**Nikki: -sniggers- She dressed up as a zombie for Halloween, she was a pretty convincing one too.**

**Kai: How do you know how well she was dressed up?**

**Echo: You forget pretty boy, we are inside those girls minds and imagination so we see everything they do and hear everything they say.**

**Nikki: -grins- Yeah which rules coz these girls go nuts when they're together.**

**Echo: And it's so much fun to watch!**

**Nikki: Totally!**

**Nikki/Echo: -high five- **

**WHAT ARE YOU PLOTTING IN THAT CORNER! I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH IT!**

**Nikki: -flinches- Other times it's not so fun…**

**Echo: Let's start the chapter before she gets too…**

**IMMA START THE CHAPTER FOOL! ENJOY THE CHAPTER FOOLS!**

**Echo: …crazy**

**Nikki: -groans- Just kill me now…**

The next morning there was thick tension lingering in the air. The citizens, now having mostly been evacuated, waited anxiously for the outcome of their country. The city of Orb was now completely deserted; if one were to stand in the city they would've found it unnerving as to how quiet it was. ORB was commonly buzzing with activity, people rushing to work, children running and playing. But all that had been put aside, for conflict was hovering on the horizon. None at seen war in almost a year, and they were terrified of another one becoming full scale and threatening the peace. Although the invasion wasn't for another full day, they cleared out everything early anyway in case the enemy decided to make an early appearance. And fortunately, there were strong soldiers on their side, willing to put their own lives at risk to put an end to all bloodshed before it could start.

One such soldier was staring at his reflection in a bathroom mirror. Unlike others he didn't have the day off, but he was still allowed to wear casual clothes for this assignment. He was fairly new to the whole battle affair and was somewhat frightened of going out onto the battlefield. But he had plenty that he was fighting for, and that enough gave him the courage he needed to push forward.

Sixteen years old Khris Anderson was born an ordinary coordinator in the PLANTS. He had loving parents and an older sister who were caring and supportive of him his entire life. But all that was instantly taken away when the first Bloody Valentine started over 3 years before. His home had been on Junius Seven, the colony that had been destroyed with nuclear missiles. Khris had been attending a boarding school on a different colony, so was lucky to survive the merciless massacre. But his entire family had perished along with all the other victims of that horrid event, and his life had taken a drastic turn. With nowhere else to go, he stayed with his best friend Matt who was like a brother to him. Since becoming an orphan he spent all his days with his friend, doing his best to put his family's death behind him. But as happy as he was with his new parents and siblings, he often wondered if there was a greater purpose waiting for him in his future.

His opportunity came when he turned sixteen. High-ranking officers from Zaft were gathering teenagers from all over the PLANTS and enlisting them into the army. He wondered why they were doing this now, since the last war had ended a while ago, but he still took this as an opportunity to make something of himself. So bidding farewell to his adopted family, him and his friend Matt, who had also volunteered, boarded a shuttle heading to the military colony where they would undertake serious training to prepare them for any war threat that might potentially break out. The chances of war at that moment were pretty slim, since the Chairwoman of PLANTS and the ORB Representative were publicly known to be close friends, but they wanted to be prepared anyway.

They were only there for a few weeks when the military had surprising visitors. Commander Jason Kazahana and Captain Jennifer West had come to the colony unannounced, and Khris knew that if soldiers such as these gave no warning, then their visit must be of vast importance. He was honoured to give his superiors a tour of the area, having been randomly selected. And just when he thought he couldn't become any luckier, he overheard them mention a name he had looked up to for many years. He hadn't always known of this person until shortly before he enlisted.

Flashback ******

Khris sat in the darkness of his new bedroom, staring blankly at the wall opposite him. Only a few hours earlier, he had heard word of something horrific, an event that come only too close in matched comparison to the destruction of Junius Seven. It seemed those typical naturals didn't know when to quit. Once again the colonies had been ruthlessly attacked, although this time their focus was on neutral homes where both races lived. But they had been ambushed without warning. Naturals were captured and coordinators were killed on sight…they had no chance of defending themselves. Khris clenched his fist feeling anger course through his veins. What was with these bloody terrorists? Attacking innocent civilians all for the sake of the preservation of their so-called precious Earth. He clenched his fists as fury overtook him. He didn't move even when a knock sounded at his door and his best friend poked his head in.

"Khris …Hey mate, can I come in?"

Forcing himself to calm down, Khris took a deep breath and looked at him. "Sure mate, come on in."

Matt walked in, stared at his friend for a moment before closing the door behind him.

He walked over to the bed and sat down next to him. It was silent for a moment before Matt spoke.

"So…you hear about the colonies?"

Khris nodded stiffly. "Yeah I did."

Matt sighed. "Doesn't seem to stop does it? First Junius Seven…now this."

Khris glared across the room. "So many more innocent lives taken for no good reason."

There was a slight awkward silence after his words. His cold tone had slightly surprised Matt but he couldn't say that he blamed him. The war was already bad enough as it was and if these attacks continued …there'd never be peace again.

He did however remember something else. With a slight grin he turned to his friend. "Tell ya what though, I have something else that might interest you."

Khris turned to see a grin on his friends face and couldn't help but slightly grin back. "Oh yeah? And what's that?

Matt leaned back on his arms and stared at the ceiling. "Well…you know how after the ambushes they just detonate everything right?

Khris stared at him. "Yeah…what's your point?

Matt looked at him. "Well…there's another colony a fair way from here that had the same thing happen to them. Except it's still intact after they attacked it."

Khris frowned. "So? What difference does that make? Still doesn't excuse the fact they murdered thousands."

Matt turned his head to look at him. "That's true…just that It wasn't the Earth Alliance that attacked them…It was Blue Cosmos."

Khris sat up straight and stared wide eyed at his friend. "Blue Cosmos?"

His friend nodded. "Yeah, and what's ever more surprising is that one of the coordinators there survived."

This caught his attention… there was a survivor? He stared at his best friend with curiosity. "Who was the survivor?"

"Nobody knows what she looks like but-"

Khris cut him off. "What a minute. Did you say SHE?"

Matt gave him a look. "Well yeah, the person that escaped was a girl…may I continue?"

Feeling slightly guilty he was being discriminating, he nodded.

"Ok…well like I said no one knows what she looks like, but according to personal record the colony kept, her name is Nikki Clyne. She' s about 17 years old, was living at the colony with two of her best friends, Jason Kazahana and Echo…" Matt's voiced trailed off.

Khris had been listening intently and gave him a scrutinizing look when he paused. "Well? Echo what?"

Matt shook his head. "Nothing, there was no last name for her. And she had apparently left the colony a few years earlier to go live on Earth. So I guess she was lucky too."

Khris didn't understand why this girl wanted to live on Earth, but he didn't wonder too long about that since his mind went straight back to this Nikki girl. 'How could one simple 17 year old survive a massacre from Blue Cosmos? Was she miraculously rescued somehow? Or was there more to her than he realized?

Flashback Ends ******

Ever since his friend had told him of that mysterious survivor from the colonies, he had always longed to meet her and find out how she was strong enough to escape from such murderers. But as curious as he was, he had heard nothing else. It was like she had mysteriously disappeared, no one knew where she was. Rumour hazard that people had seen a black and purple machine fly into Orb shortly after the attack. But as quickly as it came, it vanished, leaving people wondering how something so large could just disappear like that.

He heard no more of anything until only a week before the visit from Jason and Jenny.

Flashback ******

He had been practising his piloting skills on a simulator. Since enlisting, his dream had been to fly a mobile suit into battle and hopefully one day become a brave legendary and well known soldier of Zaft. But he had a long way to go before he was ready for anything too realistic.

He had just completed a level, when he overheard a conversation to his left. The words 'Commander' and 'Clyne' were heard, and he turned his head to get a better grasp of what they were saying.

"**Are you sure it's her? I mean, no one's heard of her since the attack on the colonies."**

"**Yeah I'm positive! Just think! How common of a name if Nikki Clyne anyway? Plus it would explain how she was able to survive that invasion from Blue Cosmos."**

"**But still! How can someone go from an ordinary citizen to one of the best pilots and highest-ranking officers in the world in just a few years? It's practically unheard of!"**

Khris sat planted in his seat, listening intently to the two soldiers. Nikki Clyne? He hadn't heard that name since Matt had told him of her survival over 3 years ago. And now out of nowhere, she's a Commander of Zaft? Excitement filled his veins, would he be able to somehow meet her? He was training to become a mobile suit pilot, and if he became skilful enough, maybe…just maybe he would someday have the honour of fighting alongside her.

Flashback ends ******

And now here he was, fulfilling one of his lifelong dreams. Jason and Jenny had individually selected him, when they had come to the military colony, to work for Nikki herself. Ok so maybe he wasn't fighting in a mobile suit, but his mission was still important and he had so many relying on him. Plus he was doing this for Nikki. He flushed slightly when seeing her for the first time, it was one thing to hear about her, and it was another to see what she actually looked like.

He remembered hearing several men talking about her. They would mention how strong and determined she was, and how invincible she seemed when facing her enemy. But all that he had already heard multiple times, it was when they started talking about her physical appearance that piqued his interest.

"**She may be a brutal soldier…but dude you should see her for real. She's like a living goddess, can't remember the last time****I saw a face or body that gorgeous."**

He remembered hearing the guys' friends all laugh in delight.

"**Yeah I've seen her too! Man wonder what she's like in bed, I'd love to get a taste of that skin of hers."**

Hearing these men talk of Nikki that way had set his blood boiling. She was their commanding officer! If she heard them talk that way then she'd have their heads! He was thinking of interfering when a taller, good-looking man walked up to the laughing crones. The surprising thing about his appearance was not only did he tower of all of them, but he was also wearing an ORB Military uniform. Only now did Khris know, that this man was Nikki's boyfriend Kai Rodgericks. But neither he, nor these cocky men knew that at the time.

He watched curiously as Kai stood behind the two soldiers that had spoken so immorally about his girlfriend. The two men that were with them, gaped at him with slight fear in their eyes. The other two that had started the gossip were still laughing, but stopped when they heard someone clear their throat. Turning around they stared up at this tall soldier, both awe and fear etched across their faces. Kai, whose arms were tightly folded across his chest, glared daggers at them. And that was all it took for them to disappear in a matter of seconds.

Khris stared at this man in admiration; he had barely moved or even blinked. Yet he had four tough soldiers running and screaming like a bunch of girls. He grinned at the memory of them running away; they deserved it anyway. Now that was hearing about how Nikki looked. He figured since she had random men perving on her then she must've been a fairly attractive woman, but he hadn't fully believed or understood that until he saw her for the first time himself.

It was just shortly after he had arrived in ORB with Jason and Jenny. They had taken him through the halls of Headquarters to the arena where she was giving hardcore training to young teenagers like him. He remembered running into Kai on the way, and how intimidated he felt meeting Nikki's boyfriend. It was then that he recognised him as the tall guy that had effortlessly scared those four men and had understood why he had looked so ticked off. Not that he could blame him really, he'd react the same way if he heard someone talking that way about his girlfriend. After meeting Kai, they had made their way to a large hall where Nikki was. He was half expecting to see a typical girl in the women's military uniform and most likely looking stereotypically pretty. But instead he saw a kick ass tomboy, dressed in a white uniform with pants and staring around the room with such an intense and stern gaze that he swore he felt his stomach slightly churn in fear. But then his jaw dropped when he gave her a proper look over. He could see her figure underneath the uniform and just how nicely snug if fit. Her crystal blue eyes were beautiful beyond description, despite the hard glare coming from them. And the feature that caught his attention the most was her hair, never before had he seen a girl with such long flowing hair before. It was tied up in a high ponytail above her head, the smaller side parts framed her face, going past her shoulders and resting just past her chest. The rest of her hair flowed in thick waves down her back and ended just below her tailbone. If that was the length when tied up high, he wondered just how long her hair was if fully let out. He felt himself become light headed at the thought of it.

He laughed to himself, remembering just how much of a wuss Jason was around her. They reminded him of bickering brother and sister, and guessed that was probably how they regarded each other. It was easy to see how close friends she was with Jenny as well, the two girls got along swimmingly and it reminded him of his friendship with Matt.

Thinking of his best friend made him slightly sad, while he had been given this rare opportunity, Matt had stayed behind to continue training with everyone else, he wondered if he would ever see him again.

A knock on the door brought Khris back to the present day. Straightening himself, he exited the bathroom and strode across the room. He opened the door to see a young girl he had never seen before. She was slightly shorter than him, had average length blonde hair and distinctive purple eyes that stood out. She stared at him with a leering gaze, causing him to squirm a little bit. "Um…can I help you?"

She opened her mouth to speak yet didn't evert her eyes. "Are you Khris Anderson?"

He nodded stiffly. "Yeah"

She suddenly grabbed his wrist and started to drag him down the hall. "You're coming with me."

Startled by her sudden move, he tried to pull his hand away but found her grip too strong. "Hey man! What's the big deal?'

The girl abruptly stopped and turned to stare at him. "You do know what's happening today right?"

Khris returned her stare with a blank look. "Um… I thought I was starting my assignment today."

She growled. "That will have to wait, there's something much more important happening!"

Khris tried again to yank his hand back but failed. "Well at least tell me your name, I'm not a fan of being dragged around by random girls."

The girl glared at him. "Fine, I'm Echo."

Khris's eyes went wide. 'Echo?' His conversation with his best friend flashed again through his mind.

"She' s about 17 years old, was living at the colony with two of her best friends, Jason Kazahana and Echo…" Matt's voiced trailed off.

Khris had been listening intently and gave him a scrutinizing look when he paused. "Well? Echo what?"

Matt shook his head. "Nothing, there was no last name for her. And she had apparently left the colony a few years earlier to go live on Earth. So I guess she was lucky too."

Khris couldn't believe it, this was the best friend that Nikki used to go to school with. When did they meet up again? He started to feel dizzy, all this was becoming too much for him to comprehend.

Echo's voice snapped him back. "Hey! You alright in there?"

He brought his focus back to see her face inches away from his own. He jumped backwards in surprise. "Dude! Don't do that!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't do what? Anyway we've wasted enough time we need to go."

She started dragging him again without giving him a chance to argue, but yet he still had no idea what was happening. "Need to go where? What's going on?

Without looking back at him she answered bluntly "We're going to Nikki and Kai's engagement party."

Khris fell silent. Engagement party? When had the two of them gotten engaged? Last he checked they were only dating…that's what Jason had said anyway. But then he suddenly realized, when they had run into Kai into the hall the previous day, he had told them that he had plans with Nikki that night. He must have had a romantic dinner or something set up so he could propose to her. And since this Echo girl was taking him to their engagement party, then it was obvious that Nikki must've accepted his proposal. He didn't know why, but he felt incredibly jealous. Despite her being three or four years older, he had always been attracted to her and was hoping he'd someday have a chance to prove himself to her. But then this Kai guy just comes along and sweeps her off her feet. He shook his head sadly to himself, 'who was he kidding anyway? He was only a sixteen-year-old Rookie in training, and she was a full grown twenty year old Zaft Commander. Why would she be interested in a scrawny loser like him?

His self-doubting thoughts were brought to a halt when he felt they had stopped running. They were standing in front of a huge mansion in the middle of a few acres of grass- covered land. A thick steel gate surrounded the area, giving security to the giant house. Khris stood stunned at the view…how far had they run? He turned to see Echo over by the security system near the gate entrance; he hurried over to her and heard a familiar voice come out from the small box.

"Come in if you're good looking!"

Echo growled. "How am I supposed to do that? The gate is closed and locked! Let me in!"

When the person replied, that was when he recognised his blonde commander.

"Ah Echo! We were wondering where you were! Did you bring young Khris with you?"

She sighed. "Yes I have him here with me, now let us in!"

"Alright, fine come on in…sheesh."

Instantly the giant gate slid to one side, granting an entrance for the two teens. Echo strode in confidently and headed straight for the front doors of the large house. Khris followed behind timidly at a much more slower pace, feeling rather small in such a large space. He once again felt intimidated, having never been on such large property before; his family had always been somewhat scarce of money and possessions.

He heard Echo call out to him to hurry up and he quickened his pace to catch up to her. They reached the large double doors and before they even had a chance to knock, it swung open and Jenny's bright face appeared. "Hey guys! Welcome! Please come in! I just got here myself!"

Khris filed in behind Echo, and he eyes bulged at the enormity of the house. There was a large staircase that was surrounded by rich marble floor. Behind it was a wide and long corridor that had several doors on the sidewalls. Peering down the hall he could vaguely see the window leading to the back garden. He suddenly noticed he was the only one gawking in awe at everything, Jenny and Echo had already started to make their way upstairs. He jogged after them, still looking around him. He wondered who was rich enough to own a place like this and decided to ask about it. "Um…hey girls?"

Jenny looked back at him and smiled. "Yes Khris? Are you alright?"

He grinned. "Yeah I'm fine, I was just wondering whose house this was."

Jenny laughed. "But it's Nikki's house of course! She inherited a number of mansions after her parents died. This is where her and Kai will be living after they get married!"

Khris felt stunned. Once again he felt completely doubtful of himself and his chances with Nikki. Not only was she beautiful, but she was filthy rich as well. Was that Kai guy just as wealthy? Was that one of the reasons she fell for him so easily? He felt his stomach churn in distaste, 'why do girls always go for that type?"

"Um…Khris?"

Startled, he looked up to see the two girls staring at him. "Sorry, did you say something?

Unlike Jenny, Echo just stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Do you often drift into space like that?"

Khris felt himself flush. "I guess I do…I don't even realize it."

Jenny smiled in understanding at him. "That's alright, we were just saying that we're almost at the room now."

He nodded. "So Nikki and Kai know about this don't they?"

The girls laughed. "Well of course they do." Stated Echo. "They were the ones that prepared it all."

Before he could comment any further, a large door to the side opened and Nikki herself stepped out. When she saw her three friends, a large grin appeared on her face. "Hey guys! You're right on time!"

Jenny rushed forward to enthusiastically hug her friend. "Oh I can't express just how happy I am for you Nikki!"

Echo hugged her too but a lot gentler. "Yeah, about time that man of yours made a move."

Nikki laughed. "Thanks guys, I really am happy." She then turned to Khris, who blushed slightly when she looked at him. "Hey Khris, I'm really glad you could make it."

Khris nodded and smiled at her. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She smiled brightly at him before turning around. "Well come in! Everyone else is inside, Jenny I'm surprised Jason beat you here."

The redhead laughed. "Yeah I'm surprised too, I thought he would've slept in or something."

They followed Nikki into the large room. It was packed full of people that she knew whether they were just acquaintances or close friends. Looking around Khris recognised more high political figures. In one corner he saw the Chairwoman of PLANTS Lacus Clyne standing next to General Kira Yamato, the two of them talking to another pair that he couldn't quite see. A sight that surprised him however was the couple that was snuggled on the couch and quietly talking. He recognised them to be the ORB Representative Cagalli Yula Attha and well-known war hero Commander Athrun Zala. He stared at them, wondering how such opposites came to be together in such a way. Tearing his gaze away, he noticed that the girls he had entered with had gone their separate ways. Echo had settled on an armchair and had pulled a laptop out of thin air and was now furiously typing away on it. 'Where had the computer come from?' He thought. Jenny had practically bounced across the room to where Jason was and had attached to him in a seemingly annoying manner. Jason however didn't seem to mind, he just smiled at her before continuing his conversation to whomever he was talking to. He then scanned the room again to see where Nikki had gone, and once he had found her, found the sight both saddening and heart-warming. Kai had been stretched out on another couch, talking to another mate who was perched on the sofas' arm. Now the friend had walked off to leave him and Nikki alone, and he was watching the newly engaged couple completely absorbed in each other. His heart clenched at this sight, finding it hard to see Nikki in another man's embrace. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel extremely happy for them. This was the first time he had seen the two of them together; the other times it was either just one or the other. But now he was watching them both in one room. Just by observing their interaction with each other, he could tell just how deeply in love they were. They were sitting upright and facing each other. Their legs were intertwined to make the space on the couch more comfortable. Their fronts were pressed up against each other. They were each stroking the others face with a hand while the others were clasped tightly on their laps. Their foreheads were touching as they gazed at each other, the unexplainable measure of love shining from their eyes. Khris stared in awe at them, 'how could he be jealous? What they had right there was the most purest love he had ever seen, and they didn't even need words to express it.' He felt his heart flutter, 'or melt he wasn't sure which', when they shared a small loving kiss. He smiled at the gesture; there was no way he would interfere. He may have these feelings for Nikki, but this man she was with was her soul mate, and there was no way that he would ever try and break them apart.

A female voice in his ear tore his attention away from the romantic pair. "Pretty mushy aren't they?"

He turned his head to see Echo staring at the couple with a rather unreadable expression. He raised an eyebrow. "You are happy for them aren't ya?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I am, she IS my best friend. I was just thinking, better her than me, I can't see myself settling down with these so called 'men' creatures."

He gaped at her. "Hey! You're talking to one of those 'creatures!'

She turned and stared at him. "You? You're still a boy! Barely sixteen." She leaned forward, making him lean back. "You may be taller than me, but I am still older and your superior officer, so I can say just what I like."

With a grin, she walked off leaving Khris standing with his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Had she just told him off? He watched as she plonked herself back on the couch and once again busied herself on her laptop. He was about to wonder off once again into his thoughts when a loud clinking of glass caught his attention. He turned to see Jason standing in the middle of the room holding a glass in the air, wearing a huge grin on his face.

"Welcome friends! Today we have gathered for a most special occasion! A celebration that is rare these days and-"

"Jason this is our engagement party, not our wedding! Now give the right frigging speech that you rehearsed!"

Everyone's heads snapped towards the voice that interrupted. Nikki was standing up with her arms folded, and openly glaring at her blonde friend. People around the room sniggered as Jason sheepishly grinned.

"Right, sorry Nikki, honest mistake." Nikki rolled her eyes and sat back down next to Kai while Jason started again.

"Right! Hey all! As the mutual best friend between them, I'm welcoming you all to this frigging awesome night tonight!" Everyone around the room cheered loudly. "And why are we here? Well! Two of my closest friends are celebrating the fact that they're about to get hitched!" There was cheering again and some laughing as well. "Now! Let's bring this couple to the floor! Everyone give it up for the most romantic and mushy pair we all know! Nikki and Kai!"

People cheered and wolf whistled as said pair stood up and made their way to the centre of the room. Khris cheered along with them, happy to just be one of Nikki's friends and be a part of one of her most precious moments. When they reached the middle, Nikki gave Jason a hard punch in the shoulder making the crowd laugh. Jason walked back over to Jenny rubbing his shoulder. Khris chuckled to himself, that guy was asking for it. He turned back to the couple, people were still cheering for them but Nikki waved her hand and everyone quietened down.

"Thank you all for coming out tonight, I didn't really realise just how many friends I had until I saw all of you here." People laughed at her modesty. "But this is one of the most important moments of my life. Not only because all my most closest and precious friends are here, but also because it marks the beginning of a new life for me. A life that I will be sharing with this man next to me." Kai stepped forward next to her and wrapped an arm gently around her waist. Nikki turned to look at him while she continued speaking. "He has been caring, loving and supportive ever since the day I met him. And because of that, and despite being broken over another, I fell in love with him and who he is inside here." Nikki reached out to place a hand across where Kai's heart was. He lifted a hand and grasped it. "And I just can't wait to spend the rest of my life with the man that I love and cherish beyond anything." There was a huge 'Aaaaww' from the crowd but they instantly quietened down as Kai cleared his throat to say his piece.

"You should all know that I fell in love with Nikki the moment I saw her gorgeous face." Everyone laughed and Aawwwwed at his cheesy statement. Kai then did his turn by looking at his fiancé. "But that was minor compared to the joy she has given me these last few years. She has been gentle, loving and understanding with me. I'm not exactly Mr Rich but she looked inside of me and loved the man she found there, and that is much more than I could've asked for." Forgetting about the crowd, Kai brought his hand up to stroke his fiancé's face. Nikki grasped it as well, having also forgotten that all her friends were watching. "And I want to let her know…that I am looking forward to having her wake up beside me as my beautiful wife, and being the future father of her children…and that I love her more than words could ever describe." He took her hand and gently kissed it before speaking once more. "I love you Nikki."

When Kai had finished, there were instant reactions. Girls were squealing and guys were cheering loudly. A voice from the back drowned out everyone else. "KISS HER MATE!" Everyone else supported him and within seconds there was chanting of "KISS HER! KISS HER! KISS HER!" Kai turned to Nikki and gave her a mischievous grin. Before she could react, he put his arms around her and dramatically dipped her close to the floor. Then much to the delight of the cheering crowd, he bent down and kissed her passionately for everyone to see. The cheering and whistling became louder when Nikki wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

Khris clapped loudly along with everyone else, smiling and laughing. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so happy. When the couple were both standing upright again, people came forward to give them hugs and handshakes. Echo and Jenny both gave their friend a suffocating hug each, leaving Nikki breathless. But she surprised everyone by laughing merrily anyway, proof of the good mood that she was in.

The excitement eventually died down and everything turned back into relaxed and casual mingling. But for some reason Khris was unable to tear his eyes away from Nikki and her fiancé. They were still standing in the same spot in each other's arms, whispering sweet nothings to the other and just altogether lost in their own little world. He was rather envious of their relationship, he wished that someday he would be able to find and marry a girl and be able to experience the wonderful love that these two shared. But first thing he needed to do was survive through what he believed to be an all out blood bath. He knew many people were going to lose their lives.

Ironically at the moment that thought crossed his mind, a soft beeping alarm sounded from across the room. He turned to see Echo staring wide-eyed at a peculiar watch she was wearing. She put aside her laptop and rushed over to Nikki, who turned to see her best friend approaching. Echo whispered something in her ear, tapping her watch frantically and pointing outside the window. Nikki's face turned unreadable, as she comprehended what her friend just informed her. With a blank face, she lifted her pointy finger and her thumb to her mouth and blew out a loud sharp whistle, which caused all talking to cease as all heads turned to her. Her mouth turned into a frown as she addressed all her friends.

"I have just received word from my friend Echo here. She has just been informed from a reliable source that the enemy was sighted near our shores and will be here as soon as dawn breaks."

The sound of murmurs filled the room, a few people even looking somewhat intimidated. But Nikki was proud of the fact that no one had fully panicked. The last thing she needed was unnecessary chaos, especially since most of the people in the room were professional soldiers. She silenced them again with a raised hand.

"For those joining me on the front lines, I want you to leave immediately for the hangers and launch as soon as possible. Don't wait for anyone, just get into your machine and get your arses out there."

Several people nodded and almost three quarters of the occupants in the room exited hastily out of the room. After they had left, Nikki turned her attention to those that were left. "The rest of you, you are part of the special unit that will be serving as our back up. I will only be calling for your assistance in case we are in desperate need of help. Are we all clear on this?"

The remaining soldiers saluted their officer before following suit of the previous group. All those who remained now were Nikki and her closest friends. She knew that Kira and Athrun would be helping out with their own Gundams so she wasn't too worried about them. Echo was going to be stationed in a secret compartment that allowed her full surveillance of the battle, and offering her own help whenever she was needed. Kai, Jason and Jenny, she knew, would be right beside on her the frontlines. At first she had protested, but she knew there was nothing she could do to stop them. But she had made it clear to them that she alone would be fighting the man who had instigated the invasion, and that no one was to interfere. Lastly there was Lacus. She had volunteered to go with Cagalli and help the last of the civilians. These people had been unable to evacuate in time, so the two young nation leaders promised to lend a hand in finding a place for them to hide out until it was over, and had sworn to wait with them. Nikki was proud of her sister, proud of how brave and willing she was. Putting her own needs aside for the sake of the innocent and doing everything she could to protect them.

Giving her friends a head start, she walked up to Lacus who turned when she saw her sister approaching her. She stopped in front of her as the two girls stared silently at each other. But then, much to Lacus's surprise, Nikki reached out and pulled her younger sibling into a tight and affectionate hug. Lacus was shocked at her sisters' sudden initiated hug, but after a few seconds she relaxed and returned the embrace.

Nikki then opened her mouth to speak softly into Lacus' ear. "You look after yourself, you hear me?"

Lacus smiled. "I should be saying that to you, you're the one that's going out there to fight."

Nikki slightly tightened her hold on the younger girl. "But that doesn't mean I won't still be worrying about you."

Lacus' felt tears gather in her eyes as she also hugged her sister tighter. "I love you, Nikki." She said with a cracked voice."

Nikki lifted her head slightly and placed a sisterly kiss on the top of Lacus's head and returned the same phrase with a soft voice. "I love you too, Lacus." As she said this, a single teardrop fell down her cheek as she felt overwhelming love and affection for the younger girl she held in her arms.

She would've held her sister for longer if they hadn't been in danger. But time was against them and Nikki was forced to gently pull herself away from Lacus' hug. She stared into the same blue eyes that they both shared and smiled reassuringly at the younger ones that seemed to reflect the fear she also felt deep inside herself. She gave her one last comforting pat on the shoulder before turning away from her and walking out the door. She nodded respectively at Cagalli, who had been patiently waiting for Lacus, before striding quickly out the door and into the upstairs. She forced herself to not look back, and as she walked out, didn't see Cagalli run forward to comfort the pink haired girl who had finally collapsed into heartbroken tears.

Nikki raced outside her large house, putting trust in the Representative to have the area secure for when she left. She sprinted through the gate entrance and down the sidewalk towards her car where she spotted Kai and Echo waiting beside her vehicle and chatting idly to one another. They both turned their heads when they heard someone running. Echo's faced turned into irritation when she saw who it was.

"Where have you been? They could be parked right on our beach now for all we know!"

Nikki dug her keys out and waved a dismissive hand towards her best friend. "We'll argue later Echo, let's just get in the car and go." Despite the wasted time, she did not regret the, what could've been, her last few minutes with her sister. Barely glancing at the other two, let alone giving them time to get in the car, she turned the key into the ignition and the engine roared to life. Slamming her foot onto the accelerator, and completely ignoring Echo's shout for her to put her seatbelt on, she sped away from her home and tore down the now empty streets, leaving a small cloud dust and a faint smell of burnt rubber behind them.

Nikki drove through the empty streets, expertly avoiding left over vehicles that had been abandoned on the road during the sudden evacuation of the city. Her frantic speeding had her passengers somewhat alarmed. Echo was in the back seat and had long abandoned her seatbelt to move around and grab onto anything for support. Kai, who was next to her, had his hands dug into the sides with his knuckles turning a shade whiter by the second. But neither had complained for the desperation of their current situation called for it, plus they knew Nikki never normally drove like this anyway. Kai was then fortunate enough to be distracted be the sound of a call from Nikki's phone. Because all her focus was on the dangerous driving, he reached over and picked the phone up. Pressing the answer button he brought the small device up to his ear.

"Hello? Nikki Clyne's phone, this is Kai speaking."

"Well, well, Captain Rodgericks is it?"

Confused Kai answered. "Yeah that's me, who is this?" He frowned slightly when he heard an amused chuckle.

"Aw, don't know who I am? I'm wounded Captain. Especially since you and that girlfriend of yours will be facing against my army very soon."

Kai almost dropped the phone when he figured out who this was. With wide eyes he turned to Nikki, who had just pulled into Headquarters. "Nikki you might want to take this."

She turned to stare blankly at the phone before looking up at him. "Why, who is it?"

He grinned nervously. "Um…the leader of the invading fleet."

Nikki's eyes went wide and before he could even blink she had snatched it from his hand. She climbed out of her car as she growled into the phone. "And just what the hell do you want?

Her anger rose even more when she heard his taunting voice. "Tut tut…your temper hasn't changed much has is Clyne?"

She snarled as she stormed into the building, frightening the two men guarding the door. "Shut the hell up! You have some nerve calling me right before the battle!

This only made the man laugh. "I have the nerve? When we meet, I'll show you exactly why I am forth-going this invasion. And it has nothing to do with overtaking this country!"

Kai and Echo felt as if Nikki's temper had just about reached its' peak as they covered their ears from her enraged yell. "I don't give a DAMN about the reason you're attacking! This is a country filled with innocent civilians! And if protecting them means staining my hands of your blood then so be it! I will send you straight to hell!"

With a last deafening shriek into the receiver, she hung up on him and shoved her phone into her pocket before storming towards her room. She opened the door and slammed it loudly behind her. After hugging and bidding a quick goodbye to Echo, Kai quickly walked up to the door and carefully entered. He spotted Nikki in the middle of the room stripping off her casual clothes, while simultaneously pulling out her pilot suit. He was well aware that she was extremely pissed off and knew he had to tread lightly if he wanted to calm her down. If she went into battle in the mood she was in then she was at a risk of making irrational decisions and potentially losing the fight. And in order to prevent this from happening, he needed to find a way to settle her. Looking at her again, he saw she was now in the middle of pulling on her suit. She was frantically pulling at the front zipper that was refusing to budge. He heard her hiss swear words and knew she was definitely angry…she never swore this badly. Reaching out he gently grabbed her hand that was on the zipper to stop her from what she was doing. He barely resisted flinching when she jerked her head up and flashed dangerous eyes at him. Ignoring the death glare, he patiently moved her hands to her sides before moving in front of her. He gripped the small zip between his fingers and smoothly slid it upwards until it reached the collar meeting just under her chin.

As her fiancé tended to her suit, Nikki silently watched him. She was still feeling irritated from the phone call but she felt herself calming down as seconds went by. Kai's patience and understanding always astonished her. She was angrier than she had been in years, and yet he had calmed her down within seconds. When he finished with her suit, he placed his hands on her shoulders and stared directly into her eyes. "Feel better?"

Nikki's shoulders slumped slightly as she nodded. "Yeah… thanks."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

She sighed. "For what you just did. I was pissed beyond anything and you knew how to handle it and made me happy again. How do you do that?"

He grinned. "I actually have no idea. I just do what it takes to cool that temper of yours. You're rather scary when you're really angry you know that?"

Nikki chuckled. "Yeah sorry about that, but that guy was really getting on my nerves."

Kai nodded in understanding. "It's all good. Don't worry about it. Well I better go get my own suit on."

Nikki, now in a better mood, smiled at him. "Alright, I'll wait for you."

It only took a few minutes for Kai to change his clothes. Once he was ready, they immediately left their room to head for the hanger. A few minutes later they arrived, Nikki once again pulling down the large lever to reveal the Vengeance. The space next to her machine was vacant, which meant that Jason must've already launched out with his own machine. Nikki and Kai had barely reached their own machines when a young voice called from behind them.

"Commander! Nikki wait!"

She turned to see young teenager Khris running up to her. She fully faced him as he caught up to her. "Khris what are you doing here? Why aren't you with the other spies watching out for the enemy fleet?"

After catching his breathe, Khris stood up straight to look directly at her. "Please, I request that you allow me to join you and your team at the front."

Nikki stared incredulously at him. "Are you crazy? You're barely been enlisted. You're too young for this it's too dangerous."

The young soldier bowed. "I know that! But I know what I'm doing! Just like you I have friends I want to protect, and I can't do that watching helplessly from the sidelines. Please I beg of you I just want to help!"

His desperate plea softened the older Commander. Yet Nikki was still reluctant to allow him to come along. But even so, she couldn't think of any could reason to deny him of his request. So with a slight weight on her conscience, she nodded. "Alright permission granted. But I want you to stay with the smaller secondary units, they're the most unlikely to be in the line of fire."

A bright smile broke out on Khris' face and he enthusiastically saluted her. "Thank you! I promise you won't regret this!"

Nikki chuckled at his excitement. "Don't mention it. Now there are, luckily for you, spare mobile suits in the front hanger. Go ahead and take off immediately."

The teenage soldier nodded before turning around and running back into the other hanger. Shaking her head in amusement, Nikki turned to look at Kai, who was silently standing behind her. When he nodded, they made their way towards their significant machine. Nikki was about to grab onto the line and haul herself up when she felt a hand grab her wrist and turn her around. Her gaze met that of her love whose gentle green eyes stared at her with mixed emotions. Before she could ask what was wrong, he dipped his head and placed his mouth onto hers. Nikki closed her eyes and relaxed as she let him pull her to him and their bodies melded together. She reached up and wrapped her arms around him to bring them closer together, longing to feel her beloveds' warmth and passion. He in turn wrapped his arms around her waist, which made them both aching for more as their kiss turned from sweet and caressing into desperate and passionate. Nikki could feel that he was scared and she felt the same way. There was a chance that one or both of them could die today and just the thought of losing him for good terrified her beyond words. She thought she had lost him once already, and that horrible feeling had almost driven her to suicide. Slowly, she loosened her hold of her fiancé and reluctantly broke their kiss, his lips momentarily following hers. They stayed pressed up against each other for a minute with their gazes locked and the foreheads touching. Nikki reached up to gently stroke his jaw line. Her bottom lip slightly quivered. "I'm scared."

He smiled sadly at her, gripping her hand that was caressing his face. "I know…I am too. But remember what I've always said to you Nikki. Me, Jason, Jenny, Echo, Kira, Athrun, Cagalli, Lacus and even Khris…we all believe in you. We'll be right beside you the whole way. You're not alone."

Nikki nodded and returned his smile. "And I am grateful to all of you." She leaned forward one more time to kiss him gently. "I love you."

Kai returned her gesture and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you too."

Finally pulling away from him, Nikki jumped onto the line and pulled herself up with their hands staying connected for as possible. When he was out of reach, she watched him run to his Skygrasper. She looked away in time to see she was at the top and climbed into the cockpit. Fastening herself in, she pressed some buttons before pulling the keyboard to her. With lightning speed, she typed her coordinates in. The Vengeance roared to life as she completed her system input. Reaching forward she gripped the controls, her eyes shining with determination. She pressed down on a large pedal and pushed a lever upwards. Instantly the giant warrior leapt upwards, soaring into the sky as both machine and pilot flew towards the awaiting battle that would determine the fate of their lives.

End of Chapter

**DUH DUH DUH! We are closing in on the final battle ! Everyone brace yourselves!**

**Kai: She says something weird and random at the end of every chapter.**

**Nikki: She has a weird mind**

**Echo: -sniggers- I think it's entertaining**

**Jason: What's up peeps! **

**JASON! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!**

**Jason: Oh hell she's still yelling?**

**Nikki: -grins- nope just at you, you're late for the next chapters preview.**

**Jason: I had a date with Jenny!**

**Speaking of Jenny…where is the missus?**

**Jason: Still out…and what do you mean by missus? We're not married!**

**-sniggers- …yet**

**Jason: WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?**

**Nikki: -slaps hand over his mouth- Shut up moron, we have a preview to show**

**Oh yes! Echo! Why don't you take this one?**

**Echo: Oooooookay Dokaaaayy…I hope everyone enjoyed this….random, weird, action filled with mush here and there and friendship and-**

**THANK YOU! MOVING ON!**

**Echo: -grins cheekily- See you next chapter! –walks off laughing-**

**-glares after- WEIRD TWISTED MECHANIC!**

_Nikki noticed the approaching mobile suit straight away. Pushing away from the Phantom, she faced the incoming machine. The voice that came through caused her eyes to widen in horror._

"_Nikki! I'll help you! Let me distract him!"_

_She flew forward hastily to stop him. "No! Khris stay back! I told you it was too dangerous!"_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – Bloodshed and Revenge**

**OMGAWSSSHH! D8 Do you know how long its been since i've updated? –shakes Nikki- TOO LONG! AND I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE MORE CHAPTERS TO GO!**

**Nikki: - Okay okay okay okay! We get it! It's been forever! Now let go of me!**

**Echo :–sniggers- **

**DUDE THIS ISN'T FUNNY! SOMEONE NEEDS TO START THE DAMN CHAPTER NOW!**

**Nikki :– We will! Chill out will ya?**

**Jason: – (walks in) Our author freaking out again?**

**Kai: - (sighs) i don't blame her, its been a while...can't believe the story's nearly finished...-**

**HELLOO? THE CHAPTER FOOLS!**

**Nikki: WE KNOW! You guys start the chapter and ill go knock out the author**

**Kai/Jason/Echo: Everyone enjoy!**

**Echo: Hey Nikki! Can I use one of my explosives on her?**

**Nikki: (from other room) NO!**

The typically serene shore of ORB was glowing as the sun slowly rose, giving birth to a golden sunrise to welcome the fresh morning. The residents of the usual peaceful neutral land would normally be eager to enjoy this weather, but a sudden danger that was rapidly approaching disallowed any type of relaxation and enjoyment. This danger consisted of two determined armies crossing paths at this very same shore. The Commander protecting said city flew over the landscape in her mobile suit, her steely blue eyes sweeping over the once populated area. Several other pilots like her hid in numerous positions, secluding themselves from view of the enemy by using buildings and other certain tall structures to camouflage themselves.

Double checking and confirming that everything was secure and in order, Nikki Clyne maneuvered her way to the front lines. She landed her machine onto the soft sand of the beach, a large number of mobile suits assembled in multiple lines behind her. She was unable to organise any sort of warship or vessel to assist them, but she had high hopes with the many soldiers she was able to maintain in such short notice. Within just a few short days, she managed to enlist and grasp the help of thousands of soldiers that were willing to risk their lives for ORB, a country that most of them were unfamiliar. She felt proud of these men and women that were throwing everything else away and knowing they could possibly by killed, all for the sake of a city they didn't know.

After landing on the soft ground, she glanced behind her one last time to make sure everything was set. From where she was, she was only able to see roughly a quarter of her entire forces, which is exactly want she wanted the invaders to see. Nodding satisfyingly to herself, she turned her attention back to the now newly risen sun just over the horizon. If she hadn't been so focused on war, she would've marvelled at the beauty of her surroundings. But that one thought didn't even have time to process through her mind, when she spotted a single vessel in the distance. She tightened her grip on the controls and clenched her jaw, realizing that the time had come…he had finally arrived.

Nikki's reason for her anticipation was currently sitting in the captain's chair on the approaching vessel. The young man smirked when ORB came into view. He had been travelling for many weeks to exact his revenge on a certain person, and now he was able to carry out his rage and make her pay. Unlike other commanding officers, he wasn't dressed as formally as the usual protocol demanded. Of course that was a rule he overlooked, especially since he considered himself an outlaw to society. Nonetheless he wore small parts of the captains' uniform to indicate that he was in fact in command of a ship. He had a loose white jacket, fully unzipped and shifted to the side to give off a relaxed and slack attitude. He wore black track pants that covered his legs, which were sprawled out in a lazy way. His head was free over any military hat, exposing a head full of sandy brown messy hair. His hard grey eyes glared to the outside world, his obvious need for hatred and bloodshed glowing from the silver orbs.

Liam Edwards turned his gaze onto the ships crew. "Focus all coordinates on the object on the beach.

The screen zoomed in to reveal an awaiting black and purple machine. It stood proudly on its own, seemingly aiming to fight against them all on its own. But Liam knew exactly who the pilot was and knew that they were fully prepared for them and most likely had been waiting for some time. He sneered. "Oh you are a courageous one aren't you Nikki Clyne?"

He was well acquainted with the brunette girl. Several years ago she had dated his younger brother Darren. He never really saw her much, only when she came home some days with his brother, and left some many hours later. He never knew what they got up to, since they spent all their time in Darren's bedroom. Darren had reassured him they weren't up to anything suspicious, but were simply spending quality time together without any interruptions. Liam often wondered if they were keeping some truth from him that is until Nikki herself had approached him. She had continuously insisted that nothing had happened and that for some unknown reason she wasn't ready to pursue their relationship any further than at the comfortable stage she thought it had been then. He had his doubts for a while, but he eventually caved in and believed them. After that he slowly felt appreciation for Darren's girlfriend. She was bright, intelligent and attractive. A few times she had even brought over weaponry she had been trained to use while she grew up, and gave both of them a few lessons on how to both handle and operate them. What had caught the brothers' attention the most was her ammunition. The rare, custom-made bullets had been produced and passed down through many generations in her family. She had claimed that when she was to turn of age, that her father would pass them down to her. Since she was the oldest out of two girls, she was granted the firstborn privilege of being trained in combat, another old tradition that had been kept in her family. To whoever saw these bullets, their family crest was engraved around the small metal bullet so that when a gun was fired, everyone would know whom it belonged to.

It was because of these tiny bullets that Liam set out today to end Nikki Clyne's life. Only days after the catastrophe on their homeland colony had ended, and Nikki had fled with her best friend Jason, did Liam return home to find the result of the horrible massacre that had taken place. To find everything in ruins was a shock, but to find his brothers' dead body amongst hundreds of other innocent victims had shook him to the core. He cried for what seemed like hours as he grieved over the last family he had. Their parents had died when they were both young so they were left to fend for themselves. And now his brother had been killed, leaving him all alone in the world. He had sworn vengeance on whoever had done this to Darren, which was when he noticed the gaping wound in the young boys forehead. The bullet used to shoot his brother was still imbedded in his flesh, so with a heavy heart he had dug his fingers in and yanked it out just as quickly. At first he thought it out of the ordinary when something about the bullet caught his attention. Looking closely, he saw with horror the emblem wrapped around the edges…the crest of the Clyne family. He knew straight away who was responsible for Darren's death and felt white-hot fury rush through him. With angry tears threatening to fall, he looked to the sky with a new motive. With no family left and nowhere to go, he now only had one reason and mission to live for. And that was to find Nikki Clyne…and kill her.

Liam felt his fists clench at the memory of his brothers' body. He had trusted Nikki, had grown to accept her as his own sister. And what happened? She goes and mercilessly kills her own boyfriend and selfishly escapes to save herself. With renewed anger directed at Darren's killer, he pointed determinedly in the direction of the shore. "Full speed ahead! That machine is our main target!"

As his ships speed increased, with hundred of vessels and mobile suits following closely behind him, he couldn't help the greedy, satisfied grin that spread across his face. "You're mine now, Clyne."

Nikki's attention was averted when a transmission interrupted her thoughts. She was slightly surprised when she heard Jason's voice. _"Hey Nikki, is that them?"_ She nodded. "Oh that's them alright…Jason, prepare all units and order battle formations. They'll be within range very soon."

"_How soon exactly?"_ He asked, his voice suddenly void of emotion.

Nikki squinted slightly. "I'd say in the next few minutes."

"_Roger that, I'll carry out the order."_

After the call ended, she signalled her unit to take off from their positions behind her. Instantly, hundred of various machines varying from mobile suits and sky graspers, launched from the ground and flew into a protective barrier-like formation around their Commander as they soared across the ocean. A few seconds later, Nikki signalled again, this time to the three other units patiently waiting for her order. Kai, Jenny and Jason all took off simultaneously, their armies merging together to create one massive unbreakable force. Despite their large numbers, Nikki had one more small strategy to carry out before the official fighting began. To make this work, she had given the order to commence slowly after their launch. She kept her attention on the vessel in the distance, watching and waiting for the precise moment. A few seconds later, a huge explosion erupted amongst the distant vessels, dozens being wiped out instantly by the blast. Nikki chuckled. "Bravo Echo, couldn't have done it better myself." As if she was heard, said mastermind of the attack was grinning proudly to herself as she watched her handiwork take place. Echo had quite boldly confronted Kai about his strategy on the element of surprise. Instead of hiding and just waiting for the enemy to come to them, she devised a plan where they would be surprised and distracted all at once. So with the spare time she had, she developed and built a wide reaching radius explosive device that was designed both for placing on land and ocean. With the time measurements and estimations, she was able to determine exactly what position the invading vessels would be in and when they would be there. So using heavy-duty machines, they lifted the large bombs and placed them in a blind spot on the water. Just to be sure though, she had activated a mirage shied she had also included, to reassure that they wouldn't be discovered.

And what a success they turned out to be. The moment she saw the explosion take place, Nikki immediately took off to join her comrades into battle, not noticing that a certain machine was trailing her. She plunged straight into the explosion cloud, unsheathing her blades in the process. With skill and accuracy she cut her way through any enemy that crossed her path. When the smoke was clear she observed the now clear view of the battlefield. Both sides had collided and the vision showed nothing but smoke and debris as soldiers both from her fleet and the opposing smashed against each other. She watched sadly as many young teenagers she knew were torn to shreds, ending their young lives. Looking elsewhere, she saw Kira and Athrun working together and easily taking care of whoever tried to attack them. Jason stood out in the middle with his Independence, no one being able to reach him within a mile. Jenny and Kai were flying their sky graspers around the large vessels, using each other in a superb show of teamwork to take out the ships. Seeing that her friends had everything under control, Nikki refocused her attention back to searching for her target. She turned just in time to see a rather different, and much bigger, jet-black machine launch from the trailing vessel. A strange alerting feeling came across her as she realized whom the newcomer was. Noticing that he straightaway headed towards her, she pulled out a large handle from the Vengeances' back and accelerated at full throttle to meet him.

Liam decided it was time for him to join the fun. He had left the bridge without a word, the crew on the bridge staring after him with confusion. But he didn't care about them. He walked into the hanger and towards a distinctive black machine in the corner. Just like Nikki he had his own Gundam designed, the ZAX10 Phantom. But his machine was built solely for his inward desire for revenge. The only reason he had the Phantom made, was to face Nikki one on one in combat and defeat her in the midst of a bloody battlefield, which was why he had instigated the invasion. He knew Nikki would not idly sit by and let him attack an innocent country, and as he has predicted, she had prepared her own army and come out to stop him. 'She really is pathetically noble'. He thought as he started up the Phantoms system. Its black cloak wrapped around it, red eyes gleaming as the sleeping monster finally awakened. Liam grinned in satisfaction as his creation rumbled to life. Without another thought, he launched forward and took off to straight away spot the awaiting Vengeance Gundam in the distance. He immediately changed direction and headed directly for it, unsheathing two large blades.

The two pilots ceased to slow down, both charging straight at the other. Seconds before they met Nikki pressed a button and a long and wide blade was produced from her handle. She swung her sword forward at the same time Liam brought his across and the multiple blades crashed violently in the middle. The collision caused sparks to fly around them, the two warriors pushing against each other in a battle of strength. Being a coordinator gave Nikki some advantage as she slowly began pushing Liam backwards. Succumbing to the fact that he knew she was stronger and more skilled in the cockpit, Liam hastily broke the hold with one hand and attempted to slash across her middle. Nikki noticed what he was planning the moment he removed one of his blades and quickly pushed backwards to avoid the fatal swipe. They circled each other, each looking for an opening. Unable to find a weakness, they once again charged in and clashed their blades together.

Liam growled in frustration. "Just die already murderer!"

Nikki clenched her jaw. "And just who the hell are you to call me that huh?"

This only pissed him off even more. "You know very well why! You're a selfish, good for nothing, filthy coordinator who deserves to die! You're gonna pay for what you did!"

Nikki knew very well what he was talking about. "Listen it's not how it seems. This is all just a big misunderstanding."

Liam snarled as he tried again to slash at her, which she again avoided with ease. "Then why don't you explain then? Enlighten me! Tell me why I came home to find my brother lying in a pool of his own blood and with one of your bullets in his forehead?"

Nikki had now fully switched to defensive mode, only dodging his enraged attacks. She decided to stop attacking him to try and get him to understand. But the less she fought back the more furious he became. She noticed the blind rage he was in and that his attempts to strike her were becoming easier to avoid and that he was leaving himself wide open. But she refused to end it that way; she wanted this to be fair. "Just stop and listen will you?"

Her plea fell on deaf ears and she was forced to bring her hand up to stop a stab coming downwards towards her cockpit. "I'm not going to listen to a damn thing you say! You killed my brother! You killed Darren!"

Sighing heavily, she resorted to a safer solution. With lightning speed, she brought her machines legs up and smashed its feet into him, sending the Phantom spiralling away. She used the spare time she had to reason with him.

"Listen…I'm not denying that I killed him. But I didn't do it for the reason you might think."

The damaged black Gundam faced her, the cockpit slightly dented from her kick. The impact had shattered his cockpit to some degree, shrapnel flying in all directions. Shards of glass and metal scraped and pierced his skin, small trails of blood sliding down his face. Liam realized that Nikki was stronger than he had thought and that she was holding back on him. To spare his own life, he turned his machine idle and let her talk.

Nikki smiled in relief when she saw he was willing to listen. "I loved your brother more than anyone. And the last thing I wanted to do was to kill him. The afternoon the Blue Cosmos attacked, we were actually out on a date. The next thing we knew there was panic everywhere and the streets were filled with frightened people running in different directions. I lost him amongst all the chaos and didn't see him again for a week, in which time I trained to the limit so I could defend myself and find out what happened to him. But the morning I left to look for him, there was nothing left. All I saw was buildings on the verge of collapsing and the ground littered with bodies. All of which were men, women AND children. While I grieved for them, one of the thugs that had attacked approached me from behind. He was wearing a mask but when he spoke I recognised his voice immediately. My suspicions were confirmed when he revealed his identity to me."

By now Liam now had his full attention on her. When he heard the devastation in her voice as she described the murdered civilians, he thought that maybe he had misread her… that she wasn't the cold-hearted killer he had made her out to be. But those thoughts disappeared and his anger returned at her next words.

"It was Darren. When we were separated, they must've captured him and manipulated him to think like them. He wasn't the same anymore. He was constantly insulting me and my friends; calling us 'filthy coordinators.'" Nikki bowed her head sadly as she continued onto the part she was dreading the most. "I…I tried to talk to him…to help him see what they had done to him. I told him I loved him, but he wouldn't listen. He tried to shoot me but I…I shot him instead. It was a defensive reflex…that's all it was. It wasn't like I was intentionally out to kill him."

Liam was breathing deeply, doing his best to keep his rising anger under control. She talked as if the whole thing was an accident. He glared as she spoke once more.

"It was only a flesh wound in the stomach to slow him down. But whatever he went through after his capture, it had given him a higher tolerance of pain. So the gunshot didn't even faze him…it only made him angry. He lunged forward at me, which is when I finally shot him in the head. I purposefully aimed for a specific spot so that it would be quick."

Her words had no calming affect on Liam. His resolve finally snapped as he snarled at her. "You didn't have to kill him! You could've knocked him out or something! But no! There was no choice but to shoot him down like a dog!"

Nikki yelled back. "You don't understand! Once men have turned over like that, there's no way of them ever going back to the way they were before! Those thugs are the reason Darren turned that way! They stole the man I loved away from me!"

Liam laughed. "Loved? You don't deserve such a pure emotion after what you did!"

His insult had struck a nerve. The next moment she was behind him as she grabbed the Phantoms head in a tight lock. "What would you have done? Would you want Darren to be himself, or watch him live a life of murder and cruelty! If it were me…I would rather die than become such a monster!"

Liam glared as he struggled against her grip. "And you think that's what Darren would've wanted?"

She maintained her hold despite his struggle. "It's exactly what he would've wanted! Your brother was a gentle, caring man! The last thing he wished for was the spilt blood of innocent people!"

Liam finally managed to break away from her grasp, kicking off her stomach as he did so. After flying a small distance he turned to face her, swinging his blades at the ready. "No matter what the reason was…the fact remains that you killed my brother, my only living family. And that…is something I can't ever forgive you for!" With that final statement, he charged forward once again. Nikki swung her sword forward, matching his ferocity as their blades met with another loud clash in the centre.

As the former friends fought to the death, a lone mobile suit that was not engaged in battle was silently watching the isolated conflict. The young pilot inside stared worriedly at his Commander. If only there was something he could do to help…and he realized that there was. If he were able to sneak in and distract her opponent, then maybe she'd have a chance at finally defeating him. With that strategy in mind, he took off towards them, heading straight for the enemy black Gundam.

Nikki noticed the approaching mobile suit straight away. Pushing away from the Phantom, she faced the incoming machine. The voice that came through caused her eyes to widen in horror.

"Nikki! I'll help you! Let me distract him!"

She flew forward hastily to stop him. "No! Khris stay back! I told you it was too dangerous!"

But before she could reach him, the Phantom appeared between them and slashed the unsuspecting teenager through the cockpit. Nikki yelled out Khris' name as the young boys machine fell silently towards the ocean. It crashed into the water, followed by an explosion. Nikki was shocked, not daring to believe what just happened. Angry tears fell down her face and she turned violently to face Khris' killer. The enemy pilot was grinning smugly.

"Now you know how it feels…to have someone precious taken away from you! It hurts doesn't it?"

Rage filled Nikki's mind as she lunged forward at him. "Khris was just a KID! He never hurt anyone! He was just an innocent bystander! At least when I killed Darren I was being somewhat merciful! You just shot Khris down because he was in the way!"

Liam shook his head, the satisfied smirk never leaving his face. "Tut, come now Nikki you misunderstand me. He wasn't in the way. But he was a good enough pawn to use to make you seen reason." His words were met with a sword slashing down towards him. He was barely able to block it before it hit his cockpit, but felt himself being pushed downwards.

"You're sick. Men like you are despicable. And you know what? I'm going to keep my promise to you." Nikki spoke quietly, her voice turning icy.

Liam couldn't help the small shiver that ran down his spine. "W…what promise?"

Nikki raised her sword in a stab motion, aiming straight for his cockpit. "Where I send you straight to hell!"

Liam shut eyes his and waited for death to come. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes to see a remarkable sight. Another machine had interrupted, only this time it was equally as advanced as theirs and was currently holding the arm of the Vengeance. He was unsure whether he should be scared or grateful.

Nikki glared at the intruder. "Just who the hell are you to stop me?"

She heard a deep chuckle. "Hey now, is that any way to treat your reinforcements?"

Nikki blinked when she heard the familiar voice. "When did you get here?"

The newcomer grinned. "Just now. While you were so absorbed in your battle, you didn't seem to realise that your own troops were struggling."

Nikki turned to see a fresh new army swooping into the area. Her own fleet had been cut down to a very minimal level to where even her back up unit was forced to help. But the high numbers of Liam's fleet had been too much and they were struggling to keep them away from the city. Her main group of friends, she gratefully noticed, were holding out well. But this new force that had appeared was incredible in her opinion. The size was around triple to how her fleet had originally started and watched in amazement as they practically flattened Liam's forces.

She turned back to him. "Well we're grateful for your help. But would you mind letting go of my arm?"

The new machine released her and the mysterious pilot chuckled. "Sorry about that. Oh and your prey is escaping."

Nikki whipped around to see Liam attempting to fly away from them. She dashed forward and grabbed his arm. "No you don't, you're not going anywhere."

The Phantom slashed backwards with his blade but Nikki's friend blocked him before he was even halfway. "I don't think so mate. I saw what you did to that young pilot back there. You'll need to pay the consequences for that."

Realizing he was outnumbered, Liam finally surrendered and slumped in his seat. Nikki watched as the black machine relaxed before turning to her new friend. "So you never did tell me your name."

She laughed when his Gundam saluted. "The name's Shawn Astral. Sorry I was unable to come sooner, I wasn't quite sure of a precise time."

Nikki waved her hand. "It's fine, the important thing is that you did turn up." She looked at the battle's aftermath. "I guess it's finally over."

Shawn nodded. "So what's the plan now?"

She sighed. "First I need to decide what to do with this guy, and then I need to organise some sort of memorial for everyone that's been killed."

"Sounds like a plan! Say when's your wedding? I'm still invited right?"

Nikki chuckled. "You're more than welcome, and I have no idea when it's happening. I need to talk to Kai about that."

Coincidentally, her fiancé's voice sounded from her cockpits transmitter.

"_Nikki? Are you ok?"_

Nikki smiled brightly when she heard his voice. "Yes Kai I'm fine. I'm so glad to hear you're alright."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice. But you need to come down to the beach."

She frowned. "Why? What's happening?""

"We found Khris."

Hearing the boy's name stung her heart. Was he alive? She needed to know. Before leaving, she turned to Shawn. "Why don't you come along?" She pointed to the Phantom. "Bring him along with you, it's time you met my friends."

After receiving an agreement from him, she headed straight for the shore where everyone was waiting. She landed the Vengeance a few yards away before climbing out of the cockpit. Before the line even reached the whole way down, she leaped to the ground before breaking into a sprint to where a large crowd was gathered. She saw Kai making his way to her and felt herself run faster at the sight of him. Just as he always did, he opened his arms as an invitation to which she ran straight into. She jumped onto him, her arms around his shoulders and their lips instantly met in a desperate embrace. Kai lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Nikki's hands wandered into his hair as their mouths moved against each other. Both could feel themselves losing control as their bodies continued to grind against each other. Resisting the temptation to push him to the ground and make love to him right there on the sand, Nikki forced herself to break their passionate kiss. She smiled lovingly at him, having missed him deeply for the hours they were apart. He smiled back at her before gently lowering her back to the ground.

Nikki suddenly remembered the reason she had come down, and her expression turned sad. "Khris…where is he?"

When Kai's face went grave, fear rose inside her. Her fiancé grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the gathered crowd. Nikki pushed her way through, spotting two of her best friends when she reached the middle.

"Jason? Jenny?"

They turned around when they heard their names. Jenny smiled at her best friend and stood up to face her.

Nikki walked up to her. "Is he…?"

Jenny averted her gaze from her friend. "He's alive…just."

Nikki frowned. "How long does he have?"

"A few minutes at the most."

She sighed sadly. "Can I see him?"

Jenny nodded and moved to the side. "I do have to warn you Nikki…he's not a pretty sight."

Nikki indicated with her head that she understood. She looked over to where Jason was tending to the injured boy and she felt bile rise to her throat at the sight. Shards of metal from his cockpit were imbedded in him from head to toe His face was thick with blood from the pieces of debris. His features were badly disfigured from the damage the explosion had caused. His right arm and leg were both covered in deep cuts and slashes, while the other two had been completely ripped from his body leaving two bloody stumps in their place. She could no longer recognise the enthusiastic boy that she knew.

Walking to his side, she knelt beside him. "Khris."

The dying boys head turned her direction. "Nikki… Is that you?" He croaked out in a raspy whisper.

Nikki nodded realizing that his eyes were too damaged and that he could no longer see. "Yeah it's me."

Khris managed a small smile. "So… did we… win?"

She nodded with teary eyes. "Yes we did Khris…we saved ORB."

Khris turned his head back, his bloody sightless eyes staring upwards. "I'm happy…to…hear that."

Nikki felt a tear fall down her cheek. It dripped off her chin and landed on Khris' hand. He smiled when he felt the small drop of water. "Don't cry…I'm not…afraid…to die."

She shook her head. "It wasn't supposed the end like this."

Khris slightly lifted his hand towards her, groaning in pain at the small movement. Nikki caught his hand in hers and held it tightly, not caring that his blood was smearing onto her.

Khris coughed. "I don't mind… at least…I can…see…my…family…again."

Nikki brought his hand up to her forehead as she cried. "At least tell me you're not in pain."

He managed to shake his head. "No…in fact…I'm…at peace…but…I do…have…one…more thing…to say…before…death…takes me."

She gripped his hand "What is it Khris?"

"Please…come closer…"

Nikki leaned close so that her ear was next to his mouth. And as Khris Anderson slowly closed his eyes, he whispered his three final words to her.

"I…love you."

Nikki drew back her head in time to see his head fall limp to one side as the young boy passed away. His confession had surprised her, yet moved her. She had no idea that he had felt that way and felt somehow guilty that he had finally told her while he was dying. She placed his hand back next to his side before bowing her head, a lone tear falling down her cheek. Everyone around her followed her example as they too hung their heads in respect, grieving for Khris Anderson and all others who had sacrificed their lives that day. They would always be remembered for their bravery, Nikki would make sure of that.

~One week later~

Funerals, a ceremony that takes place in which friends gather to grieve the death of a loved one. And to some people a way to celebrate the life of the person who had passed. A brunette girl was currently attending one of these funerals as she stared at the casket of teenager pilot Khris Anderson. A handful of his friends stood around his coffin in silence with their heads bowed and tears flowing down their faces. One of the few dry faces was that of Nikki Clyne, her blank, stony gaze locked on the wooden casket. Her fiancé was next to her, holding her hand in a small gesture of comfort. She was barely aware of his presence or her three best friends behind her. Her mind was filled with nothing but images of her friend Khris and the moments they spent together in the short span of time that she knew him. She never had many opportunities to talk to the boy, but she could easily see he was a kind and caring person, someone who did not deserve to die the way he did.

Unable to cope any longer, she pulled her hand away from Kai's grip and walked away from the funeral, ignoring the concerned glances from her companions. She strode across the grass towards her car, opened the drivers' side and sat on the seats edge. She buried her face in her hands and finally let her emotions crumble, tears pouring from her eyes. Suddenly she felt someone pull her hand away from her face. She looked up to see the compassionate eyes of her fiancé. He gently raised her to her feet and pulled her into his chest. Kai had not taken his eyes off her from the moment she had walked away. Worried about how she was taking it he had followed her to the car. Now he held her close as she sobbed openly into his shoulder.

Kai whispered soothingly to her while stroking her hair. "Everything will be alright Nikki…he's with his family, he's in a much better place."

The weeping girl nodded tearfully. "I know…but…he was just so young."

He squeezed her gently. "I understand… it was unfair."

As she continued to cry gently she was unaware of her three closest approaching them. Kai shook his head indicating to them not to do or say anything to Nikki. They got his silent message and they all went their separate ways back to their homes, leaving the young couple alone. Nikki cried for several minutes, the pain of her loss visible through her tears and shaking body. Kai didn't know what to say to her anymore. Nothing he said would help her feel any better, so he hoped that the comfort he offered her would cease her suffering to some extent.

Eventually her sobs gradually softened and she pulled away from Kai's embrace. She offered him somewhat of small smile before walking around the car and climbing into the passenger side. Kai took that as sign that she had no desire to drive. Not that he could blame her considering the emotional state she was in. He then sat in the drivers' seat and closed the door. Turning on the ignition he reversed onto the road and drove off down the street.

The drive was unusually quiet. Nikki had not stopped gazing out the window since they had left the funeral. The last thing she wanted was to talk, fearing her emotions may rise to the surface unexpectedly. She did _not _want to cry again, she'd done enough of that pathetic blubbering for one day. Next to her, Kai was alternating between focusing on the road and shooting glances at his fiancé. He was concerned with Nikki's lack of communication. Normally she would jabber away and be talking about any other ridiculous random subject. But looking at her now, form slumped lazily against the door and blank eyes gazing into nothingness, he felt his heart reach out to his depressed love. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, he reached over with the other to grasp her hand that was resting on her leg. The soft contact snapped Nikki out of her reverie. She looked at their joined hands before turning her gaze onto the driver.

Kai smiled at her. "Hey…we'll be married in a few months."

He realized how lame of a conversation starter it must've sounded. It sounded so much better inside his head. But he was relieved when Nikki returned his smile and turned her hand upside to intertwine her fingers with his.

"Yeah…we are."

They were the first words she had spoken since they had left the funeral. But her small answer brought a warm feeling to spread through Kai's body. He lifted their linked hands to his mouth and placed a loving kiss on her fingers, showing her how grateful he was to hear her voice again. Nikki gazed lovingly at him as she realized he was right. It wouldn't be much longer before they were finally married. She was very much looking forward to becoming Kai's wife, and eventually in the coming years, be a mother to his children. This was her future. Everything Nikki ever wanted in her life now lay clearly in front of her. After years of watching many friends and comrades die in the rages of war, she was finally able to walk forward with her loved ones as they continued to grow with each other and do their best to live their lives together…for now and for always.

End of Chapter

**;.; aaawwwww poor Khris! I feel so bad for killing him off!**

**Nikki: Why DID you kill him off? He was just a kid!**

**Well...(shuffles feet) i didn't wanna kill off any of you guys so I made up another random character.**

**Jenny: But its so sad! Why'd you have to make him so young?**

**...(stares)**

**Jenny: What?**

**WHERE WERE YOU DURING THE CHAPTER INTRO? D**

**Jenny: oh...I'm sorry! No-one told me it was happening coz it's been so long since the last update!**

**JASON! **

**Jason: (gulps) uh...yeah?**

**Why didn't you tell Jenny about the new update?**

**Nikki: (grins) yeeaaaahh, why diiiddn't yoooouu?**

**Jason: I barely found out about it myself! I had to race, i was almost late!**

**EXCUSES EXCUSES!**

**Jenny: It's okay! It's my fault for not being there!**

**Echo: (to Kai) So glad I'm no part of this conversation (sipping coffee)**

**Kai: Yeah...**

**Nikki: Listen why don't we just preview the final chapter.**

**OMGAWSH YUSH! Here is the preview to the next and final chapter of the story!...Now where was i...oh yeah (evil grin) Oh Jenny dear? You do know those that are late MUST be punished. (cracks knuckles)**

**Jenny: (backs away) hey now...let's just talk about this**

"_Ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered today on this glorious afternoon to celebrate the union of Kai Rodgericks and Nikki Clyne as they are brought together for this joyous occasion through their strong and everlasting love. "_

_Nikki smiled brightly. This was it…they were finally getting married._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Love**

**Here we go everyone! The long awaited finale of this story! Can't believe it's taken me so long to finish it all...I'm such a slacker.**

**Nikki: At least you finished it.**

**Well look at you being all optimistic! 8D**

**Nikki: (groans) Shut up...by the way...what did you do to poor Jenny?**

**Jenny: (in fetal position in the corner rocking back and forth) I'll never be late again...I'll never be late again...I'll never be late again...**

**(laughs evilly) D Let's just say she's learnt her lesson...SO THE REST OF YOU BETTER TAKE SOMETHING FROM THIS!**

**Nikki: ...**

**Speaking of which! Let's make sure everyone is present for the final viewing! Ok Nikki i know you're here...**

**Nikki: I CAN'T be late! I'm stuck in your friggin brain!**

**(ignores) KAI!**

**Kai: I'm your creation too ya know, i'll never be late either**

**True true...ECHO!**

**Echo: (puts hand up from her place on armchair) Here**

**Okay that's a check...JASON!**

**Jason: (sprints into the room) I'm...(gasp) here! **

**(glares) cutting it close aren't you? Look at the state your girlfriend is in!**

**Jason: (sees Jenny) Omgawsh JENNY! (runs to her) What did you do to her ya psycho?**

**(ignores) Speaking of I should check Jenny off too...well thats everyone! 8D Now we can start the chapter! ENJOY! AND YOU ALL BETTER STILL BE HERE AT THE END!**

**Nikki:...just kill me now****  
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Two Months later

Jenny woke up and blinked sleepily. She stretched her arms up, feeling a few joints crack. She smiled when she remembered what day it was. It was Nikki's wedding day! Quietly slipping off the large couch she was sleeping on, she stood up and tiptoed around the three other girls sleeping on the floor. She walked up the stairs and made her way to her best friends room. Approaching the door she lifted her hand and knocked.

"Nikki!"

When there was no answer she turned the knob and walked in. A brunette was fast asleep and sprawled over a double bed with her head buried under a large pillow. Jenny smiled at the sight before making her way over to the unconscious girl.

"Yoohoo! Rise and shine!"

Nikki groaned. "Uhhnn…wha?"

"Wakey wakey!"

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at the redhead smiling brightly at her. "Urgh…Jenny what are you doing?"

"Waking you up!"

Nikki glared at her. "And that would be because…"

Jenny laughed. "Oh you silly goose! You're getting married today!"

Nikki's eyes shot open and she stared wide at her friend. "What time is it?"

Jenny looked at her watch. "Almost nine."

Nikki sprang out of bed and shot straight to the bathroom. "Holy crap! How could I have slept in so late?"

Jenny laughed at her friends' franticness. "Well now that the bride's up its time to wake the brides maids."

She left Nikki's room and made her way back downstairs. She clapped her hands loudly when she walked into the lounge room. "Alright ladies! Up and at em!"

Several protesting groans were heard from three mattresses. A head of pink hair peaked out from underneath one of the thick quilts and the sleepy face of Lacus appeared. She smiled sweetly at Jenny. "Morning Jen."

Jenny beamed. "Good morning!

Echo and Cagalli sat up in their beds as well. "Morning." They both said.

Lacus unravelled herself from her beddings and rose to her feet with an excited grin on her face. "I can't believe Nikki's getting married today!"

Echo smirked from her spot on the floor. "I know… it's come up so fast."

Jenny clamped her hands together. "Well we have lots to do! Our bride is in the bathroom preparing her self and we ourselves have loads to do! So chop chop, ladies!"

Within minutes the beds were packed away and the girls were dressed. Not a moment later Nikki, now fully awake, descended the stairs dressed in fresh clothes. She stopped at the bottom and looked around. Her friends were rushing around the house in several directions. Lacus stood at the kitchen bench beating something in a large mixing bowl.

She made her way over, staring bemusedly at her sister. "Hey there sis."

Lacus turned and smiled at her. "Good morning Nikki!"

Nikki grinned. "You're more excited than usual and you're not the one getting married."

At the word 'married', Lacus squealed loudly. "Well because my own sister is about to be wed! How wonderful I'm so happy!"

Nikki chuckled. "Glad to hear it." She then sighed. "Well I have to make my way over, I need to be there early, ya know since I'm the bride and all."

Lacus giggled. "Of course! We'll make our way over once we're done here!"

Nikki smiled and nodded before walking back out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. She had a few things to grab before leaving, and then she was to go meet a person who would help her get ready. She had somewhat trouble sleeping the night before having spent it apart from her fiancé. But she smiled at the thought of spending time with him on their first night as husband and wife. Images of what they would be doing flashed in her mind and she felt herself blush madly. Shaking her head, she grabbed her bag and dashed back downstairs. Waving a goodbye to her sister and two best friends, she dashed out the door. As she strode across her lawn towards the gate, she couldn't help the content smile that crossed her face. Only in a few hours she would be standing next to the love of her life, in the park that held so many memories for them and finally be bonded to him for all of life of eternity.

Almost three hours later Nikki found herself in a dressing room tent they had set up on the grounds, surrounded by her three brides maids and feeling completely ridiculous. She grimaced as she stared at her reflection. The girls around her obviously thought otherwise, as they beamed openly at her. It had taken many exhausting, dragging days to find a wedding dress that Nikki felt comfortable in. And even now having found one, she still squirmed in the gorgeous gown. Nikki hated dresses with a passion. She would avoid them more than people run from the plague, which definitely said something within itself. But she had made this day a rare exception and put aside her selfishness, all for the sake of the man waiting for her at the end of the aisle. She gave herself one more look over. The gown was pure velvety white. A smooth layer wrapped snugly around her waist, showing off her curves. Underneath, the long hem flowed outwards all the way to ankles. The front formed a perfect V shape with long sleeves stopping just after her elbow. Her hair was half up and half down. Her back half flowed down her back, ending a little after her tailbone. The other half fell past her usual side parts. It fell down her sides while framing her body and ending in a stylish curl near her waist. The back half of her hair was pulled back with a silver butterfly clip that Jenny was kind enough to lend her, complete with a matching silver butterfly necklace that was clasped around her neck. She wore no make up since the girls agreed Nikki didn't need any. Her attire was overall simple and basic, but to those around her she held the beauty of a goddess.

Jason, who had volunteered to walk her down the aisle in the place of her father, walked in and whistled when his eyes rested on Nikki. "Wow, I barely recognise the ass kicking tomboy."

Nikki glared playfully at him. "Just because I look any different doesn't take away any chances of me slugging you."

He laughed. "Glad to know you're attitude hasn't changed." He the grinned and offered his arm. "Well the groom awaits fair maiden."

She rolled her eyes and locked her arm with his. "Why thank you my good man."

The music began playing as the brides maids made their way down the aisle, with Echo trailing as her maid of honour. A little girl from the orphanage Kira and Lacus were living volunteered to be the flower girl as she happily flung red rose petals around her. When it was Nikki's turn, the music changed and she smiled when she heard their song. As it played, she appeared with Jason and everyone rose from the seats at the sight of the bride. But Nikki was oblivious to everything around as her gaze was locked with the handsome man standing at the alter. When they reached the front, Reverend Malchio, who had agreed to perform the ceremony, spoke.

"Who gives this woman to this man?"

Jason held Nikki's hand and offered it to Kai. "I do."

Kai gently grasped Nikki's hands. She squeezed back and they turned to face the priest.

"Ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered today on this glorious afternoon to celebrate the union of Kai Rodgericks and Nikki Clyne as they are brought together for this joyous occasion through their strong and everlasting love. "

Nikki smiled brightly. This was it…they were finally getting married. She could vaguely see from the corner of her eye that several of her friends had lost it. Lacus was quietly dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief that Kira had given her. Jenny was restraining from crying too much, but failing miserably as tears slid down her cheeks. Echo was tear free, but the happiness she felt for her friend was apparent on her face. However most of the girls attending were openly sobbing.

Nikki barely refrained from rolling her eyes and did her best to block them out as the priest continued. "The vows you are about to exchange, will serve as a verbal representation of the non-verbal emotions that are as real as anything that can be seen, heard or touched. For it is not the words that you speak today that will bond you together as one…but the strength of the love and commitment found deep within your souls."

"And now, Kai, if you would kindly speak your vow."

Kai averted his gaze from the reverend to once again gaze at his bride. "Nikki, there is no definition in the world that can explain the depth of my love for you. From the moment we met, there hasn't been a single doubt in my mind that we were meant to be. You're everything I've asked for and more. For the rest of our lives, even if we must go through hardships, I will stay by your side. I love you more than I can say Nikki, and I praise the days I will be able to wake up with you beside me."

When Kai finished his vow, there was barely a dry face to be seen. Even some of the men were seen wiping tears from their eyes. A few tears had leaked from Nikki's face as well but she wiped them away and cleared her voice, as it was now her turn to speak.

"Kai…I can barely remember a time when you haven't been there. From the first time you appeared in my life, you have been a constant friend and love to me. When we met, I used my tragic past as an excuse to pull myself away and not to become close with you. I was scared of falling in love again. But despite my fears, you accepted my flaws and offered your undying support to me. Your affection and compassion reopened my heart, and I found myself falling for you and letting you in as each day went by. My beloved Kai, words cannot express just how in love with you I am. And as I stand here with you today, I promise I will remain faithful and true to you for all eternity."

Kai smiled widely, his love for her shining clearly from his eyes. Nikki's expression mirrored his, her blue orbs sparkling. Jason, who was also the best man, walked forward and held out their wedding bands. Kai took one from him and picking up Nikki's left hand, slid the ring onto her finger. Nikki repeated his actions, taking Kai's hand and putting the ring on his finger also. When they were finished, they clasped hands once again while Reverend Malchio spoke.

"Kai, do you take Nikki to be your wife, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish her friendship and love her today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honour her, laugh with her and cry with her? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live through time and all eternity?"

Kai spoke firmly. "I will."

"Nikki, do you take Kai to be your husband, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish his friendship and love him today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honour him, laugh with him and cry with him? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live, through time and all eternity?"

Nikki smiled. "I will"

"And now by the power and authority vested in me, and with great joy, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Kai, you may now kiss your bride."

Kai pulled Nikki to him and they shared their first kiss as a married couple. Several girls sighed contently at the sight. When they separated, the Reverend announced.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I give to you Mr and Mrs Rodgericks."

Everyone rose to their feet, cheering and clapping as the newly wedded couple walked back down the aisle together. They laughed as their friends threw confetti over them as they passed. As they went past the crowd, Nikki threw her bouquet backwards into the unsuspecting hands of Jenny. Nikki winked knowingly at her and continued down the long aisle, leaving the redhead standing there staring rather stunned at the flowers in her hand. They walked across the grass and towards an awaiting white Mercedes limo. Kai opened the door for his new wife, tucking her dress in after her. Giving one last farewell smile to everyone he ducked into the car next to Nikki. The limo then drove off and waving goodbye to all their friends, Nikki and Kai left to continue their new journey to spend the rest of their lives together forever.

Back at the park

When the limo disappeared from view, the guests for the wedding began departing as well until the only remaining people were the bride and groom's closest friends. Eventually, in pairs, they went their way. Echo was the last to leave. She had known Nikki the longest out of everyone, including Kai. And now that her best friend was married she was at somewhat of a loss. She had only been reunited with Nikki barely a few months prior to the wedding after being apart from her for almost 4 years. And now only a few months later, Nikki and Kai are married and going off to live their lives and raise the family they've always wanted. Echo sighed. 'As happy as she was for them, she couldn't help but feel a tad lonely.

A hand touched her shoulder. "Hey come on Echo, let's go back."

Barely recognising that it was Jenny's voice, Echo nodded and turned around to leave with the redhead and her boyfriend. She turned her head curiously towards Jenny.

"Hey…when are you two going to get married?"

Jenny faltered in her step slightly at her question before turning to Echo with wide eyes. "W…what do you mean?"

Echo shrugged. "Well Nikki and Kai got hitched didn't they? Plus you were the one that caught the bouquet, don't think I didn't see you catch it."

Jenny laughed nervously. "Yeah I know…well about that uh…um…excuse me." She quickened her pace and hurried ahead of Echo and Jason, the former snickering quietly. The latter turned to the shorter blonde and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you laughing at?"

She threw him a cheeky grin. "Oh it's nothing, just girl stuff."

Jason screwed up his face and turned away. "Never mind then, I'll never understand."

This just made Echo laugh harder and Jason looked back at her confusingly. "What in the hell is your problem?"

She didn't answer and continued to cackle loudly, an utterly lost Jason and an embarrassed Jenny in her wake. Guess some things never change.

Meanwhile, Nikki and Kai had reached their hotel. They planned only to spend the one night together for their honeymoon since Nikki was rather anxious to go back home and start her new life. She was, without a doubt, excited about spending some time with Kai in a hotel room. But she was scared she would miss her friends and family too much, so agreed that for one night she would enjoy the afternoon and night alone with her new husband.

As soon as the limo pulled over, Kai jumped out then turned to help his wife out of the car. The moment she got out, he picked her up bridal style making her squeal in surprise.

"Hey! A bit of warning next time."

He grinned. "Sorry, I'm just really happy."

She smiled at him and looped her arms around his neck. "I know…me too."

He smiled back as he carried her inside. When he headed straight for the stairs Nikki looked back in confusion. "Aren't we supposed to check in first?"

Kai looked at her with a knowing smirk on his face. "Your good friend Echo went ahead and booked us a room."

She smiled at the mention of her best friend. "Oh Echo…always doing favours for me."

Their arrival at their hotel room stopped Kai from replying. As Echo promised them, their door was waiting for them, two men standing guard outside. Paying no attention to them, Kai stepped over the threshold. As soon as they were inside, Nikki didn't waste any time. She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled his head down to kiss him. With her free hand, she pushed the door and closed it behind them.

A few hours later

Nikki sighed contently as she laid her head on her Kai's bare chest. He lay on his back with an arm around her and his other hand clasped around hers. Their breathing was in sync as they basked in the glow of their lovemaking. Nikki smiled, she had no regrets. They were married, it was the first time for the both of them and she loved him more than anything. She was more than ready to give herself to him.

Nikki looked up to the sleeping face of her husband. She pulled her hand out of his grasp to reach up and gently run her fingers down his jaw line. He had been incredibly gentle with her. Even though it was her first time, there had barely been any pain. Kai was too scared that he would hurt her. But he had been a perfect gentleman and she looked forward to the days they would start having children. Suddenly she let out a yawn as the previous activities finally caught up to her. Tucking her head back under Kai's chin and resting her hand on his, she closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful, dream-filled sleep.

_The next day_

Nikki woke up in the morning to find herself alone in their hotel bed. Slowly she sat up and rubbed her eyes, the sheets slightly slipping down her body. The door then opened and a fully dressed Kai walked in carrying a breakfast tray. He smiled when he saw a sleepy Nikki staring sleepily at him. He was fully aware his wife was naked under the covers, but even now when married he still kept his gaze on her face.

Making his way around the bed, he placed the tray down on the bedside table before bending down to kiss her. "Morning love."

She smiled. "Morning." She turned and curiously eyed the tray he had just bought in. "What's all this?"

He chuckled at her hungry look. "Your breakfast."

Nikki looked back at him. "What about you? Aren't you going to eat?"

Kai picked up the tray and placed it on her lap. "I've already eaten. I woke up a little while ago."

She pouted at him. "Why didn't you wake me?"

Kai playfully flicked her lower lip with his thumb. "Well you looked like an angel so I didn't have the heart to wake you."

Nikki blushed. "Always the smooth talker, aren't you?"

He grinned in response to which she rolled her eyes. A growl from Nikki's stomach interrupted their playful banter. Kai chuckled at her as she turned her attention back to her food.

A few minutes later she had polished her plate. While Kai took it away back to the kitchens, she decided to get dressed. Since she was with her husband, she didn't bother to cover herself so she walked around the room in the nude, looking for something to wear. When the door opened again, she didn't bother looking behind her, not realizing that is wasn't her husband that had walked in.

Meanwhile, Kai was only down the corridor, when he heard enraged shouting coming from their suite. Recognising Nikki's scream, he broke out into a run. When he was near their room, the door sprung open and a man known as one of the hotel helpers flew out and collided with the wall.

Random objects (such as knives, forks and such) were thrown from the room and Kai could hear Nikki's voice yelling. "WHAT THE HELL YOU FREAKIN PERVERT? DIDN'T YOU EVER LEARN HOW TO KNOCK? NOW PISS OFF BEFORE I SLICE YOU INTO LITTLE PIECES!"

The trembling butler was barely able to dodge the sharp items as he fled from the scene and dashed around a corner. Kai stared at him before carefully peeking into the room. He brought his head back just in time for a knife to zoom past him and stick into the wall behind him. He decided to talk from outside, considering how angry Nikki obviously was.

"Nikki, calm down it's only me now."

There was silence for a moment before a shaky voice spoke. "Oh…sorry…come in."

He walked around the door, making sure to close it behind him as he entered. There was Nikki, sitting in the middle of the bed and clutching the covers up to her chest. She was shaking slightly, her nostrils flaring with large blazing eyes transfixed on the door behind him.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What in the hell happened?"

Nikki growled. "I didn't bother wrapping a sheet around me because I know you're the only one that would walk back in here. But that idiot of a butler…waiter…whatever the hell he is! Decides to waltz in here without bothering to knock! I turned around expecting to see you there! But all I see is this gawking moron!"

Kai chuckled. "So you decided to throw sharp things at him?"

Nikki let out a 'hmph'. "Anything to get his arse out!"

He shook his head and smiled. "Well if it helps, our clothes are under the bed. They were brought up before we arrived."

Nikki let go of the sheets and jumped off the bed, giving Kai a full view of her body. He silently watched as she reached under and pulled out a small black suitcase. She unzipped it and dug through for a few seconds before pulling out one her tops and a pair of jeans. She flopped them beside her and dove back in, this time pulling out underwear and a bra. After she was dressed, they took a few more minutes to tidy up before going back home. Glancing around the room one more time, they grabbed their belongings and walked out of the room holding hands.

Nikki and Kai walked through the front door of their new home, only to be surprised by a warm welcome by all their friends. Lacus bawled her eyes out as she clung to her older sister. Nikki laughed and awkwardly patted her back to try and calm her down. Jenny nearly suffocated her to death and Echo practically bowled her over. After receiving three different and rather overwhelming hugs, Nikki sat down and filled everyone in about her night away from Kai, of course leaving out personal details. The so-called party lasted several hours. By the time it was over, the newly weds were exhausted. As soon as everyone had left they decided to retire to their new master bedroom.

When they walked in, Nikki froze and stared at the bed. Kai gazed concernedly at her. "Hey…you alright?"

She didn't reply. Instead she walked over and climbed onto the mattress, sitting in the middle. Worried about her sudden mood change, Kai joined her and sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her.

She leant back into him and silently whispered. "I never told you did I?"

He hugged her tighter. "Told me what?"

Nikki turned slightly to snuggle properly into his chest. "The reason I wanted to live in this specific house."

He looked down at her. "Does it hold some sort of significance?"

She nodded. "My mother raised me here…this is where I grew up." She gestured to the bed. "I used to have a lot of nightmares when I was little. So I would always come in here and stay with my mum. This room has a lot of memories for me."

Kai pushed her away to arms length so he could look at her. "We don't have to live here in then. Isn't it painful to be somewhere that holds so many reminders and memories of your mother?"

Nikki smiled warmly at him. "Quite the contrary. Living here I can feel her presence, and it brings me comfort to know that she could be watching over me. Besides she did leave the place for me anyway…who am I to go against her will?"

Kai smiled. "You're amazing you know that?"

She responded to his compliment by tugging on his head and pulling him to lie down next to her. He obliged to her gesture, hugging her close to him once they lay down. Nikki instantly felt tired and her eyes began drooping. As she succumbed to her sleep, she heard Kai whisper to her. "We'll make your mum proud Nikki…we'll make her proud…by making memories of our own." His soothing words flowed into her mind, her thoughts filling with images of her family both in the past and in the future as she finally fell asleep with her love and mother watching over her.

**(Not quite the end yet!)**(A couple of weeks later)

Nikki sat at the kitchen table in shock. Her hands were holding the telephone, having just been informed of a latest development. Two words continuously repeated in her mind.

'_I'm pregnant.'_

'_I'm pregnant_

'_I'm pregnant'_

That same morning, she had woken up with a start with the horrible quench in her stomach. She had rushed to the bathroom and threw up for what felt like hours, leaving her completely drained. At first she concluded that it might have simply been a bug going around. But that theory flew straight out the window when she continued to be sick for the rest of the morning. Kai had chosen that day to spend some guy time with Jason and the rest of the boys. When he begged her last night if he could go, she had told him he was silly and that she wasn't going to stop him from being with his friends. Now she was really regretting that. Not wanting to worry anyone else, she drove herself to a small hospital just a few minutes drive away. After a few tests, the doctor told her he would call her later when he had the results. Now here she was, the doctor having just informed her minutes ago that she was carrying a child, and had been for the last couple of weeks.

Nikki's eyes widened when she realized exactly when that was.

'_Holy Crap! That was our wedding night!'_

She turned her gaze downwards to her abdominal area. Suddenly, a new emotion overtook her and her eyes softened. She smiled down and placed a hand on her flat stomach as a lone tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. An overwhelming sense of happiness swelled inside her. _'I'm going to be a mother.'_

Nikki started to weep silently. She was so absorbed with her crying that she didn't hear the front door open, nor the sound of her husband calling out her name. Kai walked into the kitchen and was horrified to find his wife in tears. He dashed across the room and pulled her onto her feet and into a hug.

"Nikki? Hun, what's wrong?"

Nikki pushed away from him and lifted her head. Kai's concerned expression turned to one of surprise when he saw a bright smile on her face. He stared quizzically at her. "Are you ok?"

He was startled when she laughed. "Oh Kai…I'm the happiest girl in the world."

Kai frowned in confusion. "Then why are you crying?"

Nikki giggled at him. "Silly man, they're happy tears."

He continued to stare at her. "Why are you crying happy tears then?"

She sighed happily. "Well where do I start? This morning I woke up feeling ill…and spent the next five to six hours throwing up in the toilet."

Kai's eyes widened at this declaration but she ignored it and kept talking. "So knowing that this wasn't a normal sickness, I went to see a doctor. They put me through a few tests and examined me for a little while. Then the doctor said he'd call me later with the results."

Kai's face remained blank. "So you're happy because you were sick?"

Nikki shook her head, laughing at how clueless her husband was. "No, I'm happy because they rang me about ten minutes ago and told me why I was sick."

He raised his eyebrows. "What did they say?"

She stared at him, but was unable to find the right words to tell him. So she grabbed one of his hands and gently placed it on her abdomen. She looked back up at him to find him gazing with interest at her stomach.

She placed a hand on top of his and whispered. "I'm pregnant, Kai. You're going to be a father."

Realization and shock appeared on Kai's face at once. He seemed to be frozen in place with his hand resting on her stomach. He finally showed life when he looked back up at Nikki. She smiled at him, silently asking him if he was ok. A large grin broke out on Kai's face. "You're not kidding right? We're really going to be parents?"

Nikki nodded, tears once again threatening to fall. "We're going to have a baby."

Kai let out a loud whoop as he picked her up and spun her around. Nikki held onto his neck and laughed as they celebrated the coming of the new member of their family. Their happy moment was briefly interrupted by the arrival of Nikki's sister and her boyfriend. The younger couple were informed straight away about the latest news which Lacus hugged Nikki to death and squealed excitedly about becoming an aunt. And thanks to her sisters' enthusiasm, it was only minutes until all their friends knew about Nikki's pregnancy. But the future mother to be was too happy to care. She was married to the love of her life and she was expecting their first child. She had everything she had ever wanted.

Five months later

Jason quickly backed out of the lounge room with his hands up in surrender. He stared wide-eyed at the rare angry face of his best friend. "Dude! I didn't know she was going to cry! She usually beats the crap out of me!"

Kai glared at him. "She's pregnant you idiot! Her emotions are all over the place so she's more sensitive to what people say! You have to be careful!"

The blonde scratched his head. "Sorry man, guess I'm just used to the Nikki I've known for years."

Kai's anger melted away and he sighed. "It's ok Jas…you're not the only one that's made her cry…"

Jason's eyes bulged. "_You_ made her cry? Of all people!"

Kai nodded. "Like I said, she's extremely sensitive. It wasn't even that big of a deal."

Jason tilted his head. "What was it?"

Kai cringed as he remembered that morning. "She was upset because we didn't have any peanut butter…she has this weird craving for the stuff."

Jason laughed. "Are you serious? She hates peanut butter!"

Kai glared at him. "And she's also pregnant! When women go through this crap they develop tastes for really weird things!" He suddenly found that Jason wasn't paying any attention to him but appearing rather frightened as he looked at something behind him. Kai whipped around to find his wife staring at him and on the verge of tears. 'Oh crap…'

Nikki's bottom lip quivered. "Kai…do you find me annoying?"

Kai rubbed his forehead and sighed. Even after five months he still wasn't used to her behaving this way. Normally she'd either not care at all or beat the living daylights out of one of them for talking about her behind her back.

He gulped, doing his best to appear cheerful "Of course not honey!

His attempted smile had made her mood worse as she rushed past the two boys with fresh tears pouring down her face. Jason watched as Kai chased after her blurting out repeated apologies. _'Poor guy.'_ He thought as he walked the opposite direction with a highly amused grin on his face.

**And another 4 months later**

Nikki sat up in bed as pain jolted through her body. Lifting up the covers, she looked over her overgrown stomach to find a small pool of water in between her legs. She swore as a contraction hit her. _'Damn it! Why now?' _ She reached over and shook her oblivious husband.

"Kai! Kai wake up!"

Kai's eyes peeked open. "Nikki? What's wrong?"

She glared at him, her patience practically non-existent. "The baby's coming, you idiot! Arrrgghh!" She screamed as another contraction hit her hard.

Now wide-awake, Kai practically flew out of bed and ran around the bed to her side. He gently picked her up, cringing when she screamed in pain again. Holding her firmly, but carefully, he ran out of their bedroom and out of their house towards their car. He placed her in the passenger seat and hurriedly put her seat belt on before dashing to the drivers' side. The moment he closed the door, he turned on the ignition and sped off towards the hospital. With one hand on the wheel, he grabbed his phone and rang a familiar number.

'Click'…."Jason? Yeah hey mate sorry to bother you, listen Nikki's in labour…yes now!… All right I'll see you guys there. Bye."

He hung up and also rang Lacus and Echo. He found it hard listening to Nikki's cries and knowing he wasn't able to help her. But he was hoping he'd at least be allowed to be with her for support. Screeching into the car park, he parked the car and jumped out. He ran back around to Nikki's side and opened the door before carefully picking her up again. Kai ran as fast as he could without hurting his pregnant wife. His heart stung when he heard her scream again, he knew that this birth was going to be very painful for her. He ran around the corner and towards the emergency entrance when he spotted a doctor walking into the hospital.

Kai desperately yelled out. "Doctor! Help!"

The doctor froze and turned to the distressed voice. His eyes widened when he saw the shaking girl in Kai's arms. "Sir? What's happening with you wife?"

"She's in labour! She's in a lot of pain! Please you have to help her!"

The doctor gestured to the door. "Quickly then bring her this way."

Kai followed him through the doors and into the main waiting area. It was very quiet, save for Nikki's screams. They rushed into a spacious room that was nearest as the doctor told Kai to place her on the bed. The moment Kai laid her down; the doctor started pushing him out.

"I'm sorry sir, but you need to wait outside."

But Kai refused to be parted from his wife. "No! Damn it! Let me stay! She needs me!"

"I understand sir, but it is a protocol procedure that I can't ignore. Please you need to wait outside."

Next thing Kai knew, the door was slammed in his face and he was forced to stand there and listen to his wife's agonising pain. He stumbled backwards before he hit a chair then sank into it and burying his face into his hands. He couldn't just sit here. Nikki was in there going through who knows what…and they expect him to wait outside? He was her husband for crying out loud! The father of her child! He growled in frustration. This was bloody unfair.

"Kai!"

Kai lifted his head to see Jason, Jenny and Echo heading towards him. He gave them a weak smile. "Hey guys."

Echo looked around. "Where's Nikki? Is she ok?"

Another scream pierced the air causing the three newcomers to whip around and stare and the door behind them. Kai grimaced at the sound. "She's in there."

Jenny looked back at him. "Well what are you doing out here? You should be in there with her!"

Kai clenched his jaw. "They won't let me in."

They gawked at him. "What?"

He rose to his feet and started pacing. "Stupid bloody protocols! Who do they think they are kicking me out! Screw their rules and regulations! She's my wife and that's my child in there! What right do they have to kick me out?"

His three friends watched and listen to him in wonder. When they heard Nikki scream out again, this time she yelled out desperately. "KAI! TO HELL WITH YOU ALL! I WANT MY HUSBAND IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Kira, Lacus, Athrun and Cagalli had arrived just in time to hear Nikki's angry and desperate yell. All friends stared at the door and then back at Kai who gazed at the door. Another doctor, who had heard the ruckus and was much older than the first one, approached the large group. "What seems to be the problem here?"

His question was answered when the door opened and a rather annoyed and flustered, younger doctor emerged from the room. "Oh, chief…am I glad to see you."

The older man raised an eyebrow. "You look like you've just run a marathon. What patient do you have in there?"

"A woman in labour, she keeps swearing and throwing things at me. She won't let me do anything to her unless we allow her husband to go in."

The chief leered at him. "And why wasn't he allowed in to begin with?"

The younger doctor felt himself starting to sweat. "Well…I was just…following standard…procedures."

The chief sighed. "With a situation like this, sometimes rules are meant to be ignored…now let the poor man in, can't you see how tortured he is?"

Everyone turned to see Kai sitting back down and gazing at the floor, his body flinching every time he would hear his wife scream. The doctor slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Yes chief." He walked over to Kai. "Sir?" When Kai glanced up at him, he allowed a small smile. "You may go in."

Before his sentence was even finished, Kai had zoomed past everyone and into the delivery room, making the chief laugh. "Ah young love." He then turned to face this rest of the group. "I shall have you updated regularly of the birth process. I know her screams don't sound pretty, but I've had situations like this before. I assure you that both she and the baby will be ok." And with that he gave them one last reassuring smile before closing the door.

When Kai rushed in, he was met with the painful sight of Nikki sitting up on the bed with her eyes clenched shut in agony. She was sweating profusely; taking quick ragged breathes and was a deadly white pale. He went over to her and took her hand, to which her eyes snapped open. When she saw who it was, her whole body seemed to visibly relax. She smiled gratefully. "I'm really…glad…you're…here."

Kai quietly shushed her. "Don't talk…just focus on your breathing."

She kept her gaze on him as she continued to breathe heavily. "Can you…sit behind me? I need…your arms…around me."

He nodded before shifting her forward slightly so he could slip his body in behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and whispered soothingly into her ear, repeatedly letting her know that he was there.

This was how it was for the rest of the birth. Nikki was in pain through the whole thing, but she was able to pull through with the help of Kai who held her supportively the whole time. The doctor had patiently helped her with the delivery as he let her know when to either push or breathe. Her friends waited anxiously outside, the nurse periodically coming out to inform them of how everything to proceeding. Eventually, to everyone's delight, a baby's cry was heard as Nikki made the final push. The doctor wrapped the newborn in a blanket before turning to the new parents with a smile.

"Congratulations. You have a little girl."

He carried her over to Nikki and handed the bundle over to the exhausted mother. Nikki cradled her new daughter and gazed fondly down at the little girls face. Letting out a sigh of relief, she leaned back fully into her husband. She turned to look at him with tears in her eyes. "Look at her Kai, we have a daughter. This is our little girl."

Kai felt a lump in his throat, unable to speak with this overwhelming feeling. He smiled at Nikki then looked at the tiny baby in her arms. He gazed down at her with pride in his eyes, now understanding the proud looks his father gave him. Still lost for words, he reached down and placed a hand on his daughters' tiny head. Nikki showed her affection as well by gently stroking the little girl's face. The baby's eyes then suddenly opened and Nikki found herself staring into her own blue eyes.

Without averting her eyes away, she asked Kai. "What should we name her?"

Kai turned and kissed the side of her head. "Why don't I let you decide?"

Nikki smiled and without hesitation spoke. "Abigail."

Kai nodded. "I like it. How about…Abigail Nicole?" When Nikki glanced at him he explained. "I wanted at least one of our daughters to have their mothers' name in theirs. What better to give her as a middle name for our very first born?"

Nikki leant up and kissed him. "Well when you put it like that." She turned back to her daughter. "So do you like your new name? Abigail Nicole Rodgericks." Little Abigail reached up and grabbed one of her fingers as her mother gazed lovingly down at her. Kai watched this scene in awe as mother and daughter bonded. It was a sight that would stay inside his mind until the day he died.

After a little while, their friends were eventually allowed in to have a look at Abigail Rodgericks. Echo was named the little girls godmother, to which Jenny did not mind at all as long as she could at least be called "Aunt Jenny." Lacus cried again, being overly happy at finally becoming an aunty. Their visit was cut short when the doctor said that the mother needed her rest. With the exception of her husband, everyone filed out the door, bidding farewells and congratulations to the parents.

With exhaustion quickly taking over, Nikki motioned for Kai to take Abigail from her. Kai lifted the little girl into his arms and rocked her gently. Abigail protested from being separated from her mother, but quickly calmed down when she saw her fathers face. He smiled gently at her, watching over both her and his sleeping wife. Being careful not to wake Abigail, he sat on the bed next Nikki, who instinctively shuffled over to lean her head against him. Using one arm to hold Abigail, he placed the other one around his wife, feeling completely and utterly happy. If anyone had walked in at that moment, they would've found a proud father watching over his new and precious family. It was definitely… a perfect picture of love.

The End

**(sniffs) Such a beautiful ending! Daaaww look at you guys with your cute little Abigail! She's so adorable!**

**Nikki: But that birth was damn painful...can't believe I had two more after her.**

**Kai: You were amazing and you know it.**

**Nikki: I thought I was gonna die!**

**Jenny: Hey what about their wedding? Wasn't it amazing?**

**YUSH! I so so so so so so so soooooooooooo enjoyed writing the wedding scene! And i have of course just completed a full A2 scale drawing of the love birds on their special day (winks)**

**Echo: Such a nice drawing too! Sakura blossoms are a nice touch.**

**Jason: You going to write about mine and Jenny's wedding too?**

**(grins) Didn't i tell you she was gonna be your missus? **

**Jason: Yeah yeah yeah...well, are you?**

**I might get around to doing a special little fic focusing on you too, Nikki and Kai have had their fun in the spotlight.**

**Jenny: Yay! I can't wait to be the blushing bride!**

**Nikki: Yeah they can have the attention for a change...I'm busy with children now.**

**(sighs) Well guys it's time to wrap this up! Now lets say our farewells to each of these lovely characters! Jenny! Why don't we start with you?**

**Jenny: (smiles at audience and curtsies) It's been such a pleasure! Thank you everyone!**

**(claps) Lovely speech! And Jason!**

**Jason: WOOHOO! This has been awesome! Hope to do it again!**

**(laughs) That's the spirit! Yeehaaww! Okay who's next...Kai!**

**Kai: (bows politely and smiles) It has been an honour to be a part of this amazing journey.**

**Ddaawww never stop being the gentleman that you are! (mumbles) even though i did make you that way...OKAY! And now...Echo!**

**Echo: Don't be too sad without me and my amazing talent! Ill return i promise! BBYYYYEEEEE!**

**Wow now thats what i call enthusiasm...and maybe a little touch of vanity. And moving onto the final character and heroine of my story! My most treasured and favourite OC...NIKKI!**

**Nikki: (grins and waves) Thank you everyone, it sure was fun being here with all my closest friends! But as the characters of this fic, we have one last thing to say.**

**Jenny: We would like to thank our amazing author for putting this story together!**

**Jason: For letting us be a part of it**

**Echo: For giving up so much of your time to write about us**

**Kai: And putting in so much effort to each and everyone one of us characters.**

**Nikki: So as part of your story and your entire fandom life, all of us would like to say to you...our author.**

**All Characters : (bows) Thank you for everything!**

**(blushes) Daawww! Thank you so much guys! Buhahaha you guys definitely rehearsed that!**

**And thank you all that have put aside your time for reading my first ever completed fanfiction! I will be back as soon as I can with another written creation for you all to enjoy!**

**Until then...**

**SAYONARA!**


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